LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. 



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nty-Five Cent Dinners 



FAMILIES OF SIX. 



JULIET CORSON, 

Superintendent of the Xew York Cooking School. 



P 



/O 



Fifteenth Edition, Revised and enlarged. 



New York: 
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY, 

245 BROADWAY. 
1879. 



■* 



£)©**»«— 



7-T 



House-Plan's 

FOR 

EVERYBODY. 

By S. B. REED, Architect. 

This is a valuable work which meets the wants of persons of moderate 
means, and will, it is believed, prove one of the 

Most Popular Architectural Books 

ever issued. It gives a wide range of design from a dwelling costing $250 up to 
$8,000, and adapted to farm, village, and town residences. Nearly all of these 
plans have been tested by practical workings. They provide for heating, ven- 
tilation, etc., and give a large share of what are called Modern Improvements. 
One feature of the work imparts a value over any similar publication of the 
kind that we have seen. It gives an 

Estimate of the Quantity of every Article Used 

in the construction, and the cost of each material at the time the building was 
erected, or the design made. Even if prices vary from time to time, one can, 
from these data, ascertain within a few dollars, the probable cost of construct- 
ing any one of the buildings here presented. 

PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED. 12mo. PRICE, POST-PAID, $1.50. 



Winter Greeneries at Home. 

By REV. E. A. JOHNSON. D. D. 
Author of "-Half Hour Studies at Home," 1 etc. 

This Volume differs from most other works on winter gardening, in giving 
the results of actual practice. The author for several years past has found re- 
creation in beautifying his study with plants; his work has resulted in so much 
enjoyment to himself and his friends, that he has been induced to tell what he 
did, and how he did it. The book is not a mere dry set of directions, but its 
teachings are presented in the pleasant form of letters to some young ladies, 
who, having witnessed the author's success, have asked his instruction, and this 
allows a genial personality to pervade the work, and makes it withal readable, as 
well as instructive. It is a most excellent guide to successful winter-gardening, 
as suited to American homes, with r ur peculiar domestic surroundings, and those 
who follow its teachings will reach a satisfactory measure of success. The en- 
gravings include several representations of the author's study. 

FLNELY ILLUSTRATED. 12mo. PRICE, POST-PAID, $1. 

ORANGE JUDD COMPANY, 245 Broadway, New York. 



Twenty-Five Cent Dinners 



FOR 



FAMILIES OF SIX. 



Juliet Corson, 

Superintendent of the New York Cooking School. 

AUTHOR OF "THE COOKING MANUAL," " OUR HOUSEHOLD COUNCIL," 
BILL OF FARE, WITH ACCOMPANYING RECEIPTS AND ESTIMATED COST, 
" A TEXT-BOOK FOR COOKING SCHOOLS," " FIFTEEN-CENT 
DINNERS FOR WORKINGMBN'g FAMILIES," ETC. 






FIFTEENTH EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED. 




New York: 

ORANGE JUDD COMPANY. JT 
245 Broadway, 

1879. 



Copyright by Juliet Corson, X878. 
All Rights Reserved. 

A** 

PREFACE 

TO 

THE REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION. 



During the time that this little book has been 
a candidate for public favor, it has attained a success far 
beyond the expectations of its most sanguine advocates ; 
and in issuing this revised and enlarged edition the author 
returns her sincere thanks to both press and public, who 
have so substantially seconded her efforts for culinary re- 
form. 

In this edition an additional chapter has been devoted 
to the preparation of fruit for dessert, with special reference 
to the needs of American housewives. Most American 
ladies prepare fruit for table use either by canning it, 
or making it into rich and expensive preserves; while both 
of these methods are palatable, and available for winter 
use, the receipts given in the closing chapter will provide a 
welcome variety for serving fresh fruits at the table, and will 
tend to increase the healthy consumption of those abundant 
and excellent domestic productions, while they cannot fail 
to decrease the deplorable prevalence of that objectionable 
national compound, the pie. 

Recent investigations concerning retail prices in differ- 
ent sections of the country confirm the author in the 
estimate of cost given in this work ; in certain localities 
some of the articles quoted are more expensive, while 
Others are cheaper ; but the average is about equal. 



PREFACE 



To Economical Housewives : 

The wide publicity which the press in different sections of the 
country has given to my offer to show workingpeople earning a dollar 
and a half, or less, per day, how to get a good dinner for fifteen cents, 
has brought me a great many letters from those who earn more, and can 
consequently afford a more extended diet. 

In response to their requirements I have written this book, which I 
hope will be found servicable in that middle department of cookery it 
is designed to occupy, where we begin to look for more than the abso- 
lute necessaries of life; it is a practical guide to the economical, health- 
ful, and palatable preparation of food, and will serve to show that it is 
possible to live well upon a very moderate income. 

It is necessary to repeat in this book some of the directions given in 
the work on "Fifteen Cent Dinners;" but I hope their reappearance 
will be pardoned on the ground of their usefulness, and also because 
the first book will fail to reach many for whom this one is intended. 

The cheapest kinds of food are sometimes the most wholesome and 
strengthening; but in order to obtain all their best qualities we must 
know how to choose them for their freshness, goodness, and suitability 
to our needs. That done, we must know how to cook them, so as to 
make savory and nutritious meals instead of tasteless or sodden messes, 
the eating whereof sends the man to the liquor shop for consolation. 

Good food, properly cooked, gives us good blood, sound bones, 
healthy brains, strong nerves, and firm flesh, to say nothing of good 
tempers and kind hearts. These are surely worth a little trouble to 
secure. 

The first food of nearly all living creatures is milk, the only entire 
natural food; that is, the only food upon which health and strength 
can be sustained for any length of time, without using any other nour- 
ishment. For this reason it is the best food you can give the children 
if you must restrict their diet at all; and it is also a valuable addition 
to the food of grown persons. While this fact about milk is settled, it 
is generally acknowledged by people who study the subject that we 



(V. PREFACE. 

thrive best on a variety. We get warmth and strength from fat meat, 
wheat, rye, barley, rice, milk, sugar, fruit, peas, beans, lentils, macaro- 
ni, and the roots of vegetables; we gain flesh from lean meat, unbolted 
flour, oatmeal, eggs, cheese, and green vegetables; and, if we want to 
think clearly, we must use fish, poultry, the different grains, and a good 
variety of fruit and vegetables. 

The food most generally in use among the masses is just that which j 
meets their requirements. No hungry man will spend money for what 
he knows will not satisfy his appetite, and a natural appetite may al- 
ways be trusted. For that reason the receipts given in this book treat 
of the articles in common use, with the exception of lentils and maca- 
roni, which are foods that I earnestly beg all to try. In meals made 
up of bacon, potatoes and bread, of corned beef and cabbage, and of 
pork and beans, there exists an equal and sufficient amount of nourish- 
ment; but if other dishes are added to these, the variety will result in 
better general health and contentment. ^ If we were to live day after 
day on rice, bread, potatoes, or any one other article of food, we would 
not long be strong enough for any kind of work. In matters of diet 
variety is not only the spice of life, it is the necessity. 

In estimating cost, I have naturally supposed that the family con- 
sists of father, mother, and children of different ages, and not of six 
adults; for them the quantities given would, of course, be insufficient. 
I allow a meat dinner every day; but in order to have this the meat it- 
self must generally be used one day, with bread or vegetables, and the 
next day the breakfast must be the broth or juice of the meat, which, if 
prepared according to my directions, will afford equal nourishment. 

I wish to call your attention to the following important fact. The 
hardy and thrifty working classes of France, the country where the most 
rigid economy in regard to food is practised, never use tea or coffee for 
breakfast, and seldom use milk. Their food and drink is broth. Not 
the broth from fresh meat, for they do not often eat that; but that 
which is made from vegetables, and perhaps a bit of bacon or salt pork. 

If you will reflect on the reasons I give in the next chapter for boil- 
ing food, instead of roasting or baking it, you will learn two important 
lessons in economy, namely: that boiling saves at least one fourth the 
volume of food, and that the broth which is produced, when properly 
managed, always gives the foundation for another meal. You should 
always bear in mind that the object of cooking is to soften and disinte- 



PREFACE. V. 

grate food, so that it. can be easily masticated; and to expand it, so as 
to present a large surface to the action of the digestive organs. In this 
connection you must open your eyes to certain physiological facts if you 
want your food to agree with you." I shall not tell you more, and per- 
haps not so much, as you ought to know, and to teach your children. 

In calculating the cost of the receipts I give you, I have used the 
retail, prices asked in Washington market, and in ordinary grocery 
stores, at this season of the year; the average is about the same as that 
of past years, and probably will not change much; so that I believe I 
have not placed too low an estimate upon them. 

At the first glance it may seem impossible to buy healthy meat at 
the prices I give, but you must remember that I speak of the good sec 
ond quality of meat, and that the marketing must be done with econo- 
my, and in low-priced localities. It can be done, for I have done it 
myself. Go to packing houses, and provision stores, for meats; to 
German green -groceries for vegetables, and fruit; and to "speciality" 
stores, for butter, sugar, tea, et cetera. 

In conclusion I only have to say that I hope my little book will be 
useful to every one who consults it. 

JULIET CORSON. 
New York Cocking School. 



VI. 



DAILY BILLS OF FARE FOR ONE WEEK. 



Monday . . . 



Tuesday... 



Wednesday 



Thursday.. 



Friday 



Saturday.. 



Sunday. 



Total. 



Breakfast : Johnny Cake, 5 ^Cocoa, 6 ; Broil- 
ed Herring, 5 16 

! Dinner : Chicken Soup with Rice, 5 ; Fried 

Chicken and Potatoes, 35 40 

J Supper : Tea, 3 ; Broiled Kidneys, 10 ; Rice 

*• Bread, 6 19 

' Breakfast : Pulled Bread, 3 ; Coffee, 6 ; Maca- " | 

roni, Farmers' Style, 10 19 

Dinner.: Broth and Brewis, 5 ; Stewed Beef 

with Norfolk Dumplings, 19 24 

Supper : Tea, 3 ; Peas Pudding, 10 -, Bread, 6. 19 
P Breakfast : Biscuit, 6 ; Cocoa, 6 ; Codfish 

Steaks, 15 27 

Dinner : Spinach Soup, 15 ; Gammon Dump- 
lings and Potatoes, 15 30 

Supper : Tea, 3 ; Baked Beans, 10 ; Potato 

Bread, 6 19 

r Breakiast : Breakfast Rolls, 6 ; Cocoa, 6 ; 

Stewed Pig's Kidneys, 10 22 

Dinner : Macaroni with White Sauce, 10 ; 
Brain and Liver Pudding, with potatoes, 

18 28 

Supper : Tea, 3 ; Rice, Japanese Style, 10 ; 
I Bread, 6 19 

f Breakfast : Indian Cakes, 5 ; Coffee, 6 ; Veg- 
etable Porridge, 15 26 
Dinner : Thick Pea Soup, 6 ; Fish and Potato 
, Pudding, 15 21 

Supper : Tea, 3 ; Fried Beans, 10 ; Rice 

** Bread, 6 19 

f Breakfast : Biscuit, 6 ; Cocoa, 6 ; Rice, Mi- 

lanaise Style, 10 22 

Dinner : Mutton Broth, with Barley, 3 ; Epi- 

gramme of Lamb, 16 ; Potatoes, 3 22 

Supper: Tea, 3 ; Polenta, 5 ; Potato Bread, 6 . . 14 

Breakfast : Toast, 6 ; Fried Lentils, 10 ; 

Coffee, 6 ; Oatmeal Porridge, 8. 30 

Dinner : Roast Fowl and Baked Potatoes, 38 ; 

Half-pay Pudding, 20 58 

Supper : German Potatoes, 10 ; Cream Rice 

Pudding, 15 ; Bread, 6 31 



Is 



1. 19 



$5.25 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I. 

Marketing. 



Pack. 



Composition and nutritive value of Meat, Blood, and Bones — 
How to choose Meat — Beef— Mutton — Lamb — Veal — 
Pork — Poultry — Game Birds — Fish — Vegetables — Fruit. . . 10 

CHAPTER II. 

Hcno to Cook, Season, and Measure. 

Effect of different methods of cooking — Roasting or Baking — 
Broiling — Boiling and Stewing — Frying — Cooking Salt and 
Smoked Meats— Seasoning Food — Dried Celery and Pars- 
ley—Dried Herbs— Table Sauce— Celery Salt— Spice Salt- 
Lemon, Orange, and Vanilla Tinctures — Table for Measur- 
ing Food. , «. i'6 

CHAPTER III. 

Beverages. 

Tea — Coffee — Cocoa and Chocolate — Beer — Barley Water — 

Milk— Lime Water 20 



CHAPTER IV. 

Bread, Macaroni, and Rice. 

Comparative price and nutritive value of different kinds oX 
bread — Homemade Bread— Rice Bread— Potato Bread — 
Pulled Bread— Bread made with Baking Powder — Break- 
fast Rolls — Tea Biscuit — Nutritive value of Macaroni— Mac- 
aroni Farmers' Style— Macaroni with Broth— Macaroni 
with White Sauce — Macaroni with Cheese — Macaroni Mila- 
naise Style — Macaroni with Tomato Sauce — Tomato 
Sauce— Rice — Rice Panada — Boiled Rice — Rice Milanaise 
Style— Rice Japanese Style 24 



Yiii CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER V. 
Soup. 



Pack. 



Nutritive value of Soup — General directions for making Soup — 
Scotch Broth without Meat — Pea Soup — Thick Pea Soup — 
Bean Soup — Lentil Soup — Onion Soup — Spinach Soup — 
Francatelli's Vegetable Soup — Vegetable Porridge — Rice 
Milk— Fish Soup— Fish Chowder— -Mutton Broth— Veal 
Broth —White Broth— Cream Soup— Beef Broth— Norfolk 
Dumplings — Meat Brewis 31 

CHAPTER VI. 

Peas, Beans, Lentils, and Maize. 

Value of Leguminous Vegetables for Hard Workers — Oatmeal 
and Peas — Peas-Pudding — Peas and Bacon — Baked Peas- 
Peas and Onions — Baked Beans — Stewed Beans — Fried 
Beans — Beans and Bacon — Boiled Lentils — Stewed Len- 
tils — Fried Lentils — Indian Corn Meal — Polenta — Cheese 
Pudding-^Hasty Pudding — Johnny Cake— Indian Cakes- 
Indian Bread — Boiled Indian Pudding — Baked Indian Pud- 
ding , 38 

CHAPTER VII. 
Cheap Fish and Meat Dinners. 

Nutritive value of Fish — Pickled Fish — London Fried Fish — 
Fish and Potato Pie— Fish Pudding— Fish and Potato Pud- 
ding— Codfish Steaks — Red Herrings with Potatoes— Cheap 
Meats— Sheeps' Head Stew— Oxtail Stew— Beef Pie— 
Baked Heart — Stewed Kidneys and Potatoes— Pig's Kid- , 
neys — Kidney Pudding — Gammon Dumpling— Bacon and 
Apple Roly-poly— Mutton and Onions— Pork and Onions — 
Veal and Rice — Irish Stew — Sheep's Haslet— Baked Pig's 
Head 43 



CONTENTS. 



ix. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Sunday Dinners. 

Page. 

Economy of Combination Dishes— Roast Fowl— Forcemeat or 
Stuffing— Chicken Gravy— Fried Chicken— Frying Batter- 
Chicken Broth— New York Cooking School Fricassee— Suet 
Dumplings— Rabbit Curry— Rabbit Pie— Pickled Shad— Pork 
Pie— Pork Chops— Roast Pork and Apples— Stewed Sausage 
—German Potatoes — Brain and Liver Pudding— Broiled 
Kidneys— Tripe, Curry, and Rice— Liver Polenta— A la Mode 
Beef— Meat Patties— Boiled Mutton— Mutton rechauffie— 
Mutton Kromeskys— Plain Frying BzUer—Epiframme of 
Lamb— Roast Veal— Forcemeat for WcaX—Blanquette of Veal 
—Veal and Ham Patties : 5° 

CHAPTER IX. 

Cheap Puddings, Pies, and Cakes. 

Comparative nutritive value of Puddings, Pies, and Cakes— Swiss 
Pudding— Cream Sauce — College Puddings— Cream Rice 
Pudding— Half-pay Pudding— Bread Pudding— Cup Custards 
—Fruit Dumpling— Apple Dumplings— Baked Apple Dump- 
lings—Lemon Dumplings— Rice Croquettes— Fruit Tarts- 
Rice Cake— Rock Cakes— Caraway Cake— Soft Gingerbread 
—Sweet Biscuits 6 * 

CHAPTER X. 

Dessert Dishes. 

Directions for making cheap and enjoyable delicacies from Fruit 
—Apple Black Caps— Apple Snow— Apple Cakes— Cherry 
Cheese— Candied Cherries— Currant Salad— Iced Currants- 
Compote of Damsons— Stuffed Dates— Stewed Figs— Compote 
of Gooseberries— Gooseberry Cheese — Gooseberry Fool- 
Grape Jelly— Green Gage Compote— Pine Apple Julep- 
Lemon Snow— Melon Compote — Orange Salad— Orange 
and Apple Comp6te— Peach Salad— Cold Compote of Pears- 
Stewed Prunelles— Quince Cakes— Quince Snow— Iced Rasp- 
berries—Raspberry Salad— Compdte of Strawberries— Straw- 
berry Drops— Compote of Mixed Fruits— Fruit Juice 67 



10 



CHAPTER I. 

Marketing. 

The most perfect meats are taken from well-fed, full-grown ani- 
mals, that have not been over- worked, under-fed, or hard-driven; the 
flesh is firm, tender, and well-flavored, and abounds in nutritious ele- 
ments. On the other hand, the flesh of hard-worked or ill-fed crea- 
tures is tough, hard, and tasteless. 

All animal flesh is composed of albumen, fibrin, and gelatin, in the 
proportion of about one fifth of its weight; the balance of its substance 
is made up of the juice, which consists of water, and those soluble salts 
and phosphates which are absolutely necessary for the maintenance of 
health. It is this juice which is extracted from beef in the process of 
making beef tea; and it is the lack of it in salted meats that makes them 
such an injurious diet when eaten for any length of time to the exclusion 
of other food. 

The flesh of young animals is less nutritious, and less easily masti- 
cated than that of full grown animals, on account of its looser texture. 
Beef, which has firmer and larger fibres than mutton, is harder to di- 
gest on that account, but it contains an excess of strengthening ele- 
ments that is not approached by any meat, save that of the leg of 
pork. 

The tongues of various animals, the fibres of which are small and 
tender, are nutritious and digestible; the heart is nutritious because it 
is composed of solid flesh, but the density of its fibre interferes with its 
digestibility ; the other internal organs are very nutritious, and very 
useful as food for vigorous persons on that account, and because they 
are cheap. The blood of animals abounds in nutritive elements; the 
possibility of its use as a general food has closely engaged the attention 
of European scientists; notably of the members of the University of 
Copenhagen, who recommend its use in the following forms, in which 
it is not only suitable for food, but also capable of preservation for an 
indefinite time. 



First, as sausages, puddings and cakes — being mixed with fat, 
meal, sugar, salt, and a few spices — to serve as a much cheaper substi- 
tute for meat, and intended especially for the use of the poor classes; 
and second, as blood-chocolate, more especially suitable to be used in 
hospitals, as well as otherwise in medical practice, in which latter form 
it has been recommended by Professor Panum, at a meeting of physi- 
cians at Copenhagen, and is now being employed in some of the hospi- 
tals of that city. 

Bones consist largely of animal matter, and earthy substances which 
are invaluable in building up the frame of the body. In order to ob- 
tain all their goodness, we must crush them well before putting them 
into soups or stews. 

Beef. — The flesh of the best quality of beef is of a bright red color, 
intersected with closely laid veins of yellowish fat; the kidney fat, or 
suet, is abundant, and there is a thick layer upon the back. The sec- 
ond quality has rather whitish fat, laid moderately thick upon the back, 
and about the kidneys; the flesh is close-grained, having but few 
streaks of fat running through it, and is of a pale red color, and covered 
with a rough, yellowish skin. Poor beef is dark red, gristly, and 
tough to the touch, with a scanty layer of soft, oily fat. Buy meat as 
cheap as you can, but be sure it is fresh; slow and long cooking will 
make tough meat tender, but tainted meat is only fit to throw away. 
Never use it. You would, by doing so, invite disease to enter the home 
where smiling health should reign. The best way to detect taint in 
any kind of meat is to run a sharp, thin-bladed knife close to the bone, 
and then smell it to see if the odor is sweet. Wipe the knife after you 
use it. A small, sharp wooden skewer will answer, but it must be 
scraped every time it is used, or the meat-juice remaining on it will be- 
come tainted, and it will be unfit for future use. If, when you are 
doubtful about a piece of meat, the butcher refuses to let you apply 
this test carefully enough to avoid injuring the meat, you will be safe 
in thinking he is afraid of the result. 

Mutton. — Prime mutton is bright red, with plenty of hard, white 
fat. The flesh of the second quality is dark red and close grained, 
with very few threads of fat running through it; the fat is rather soft, 
and is laid thin on the back and kidneys, closely adhering to them. 
The poorest healthy quality has very pale flesh, and thin white fat, and 
the meat parts easily from the bone. Diseased mutton has decidedly 



12 



yellow fat, and very soft flesh, of loose texture. Tainted mutton 
smells bad; test it as you would beef. 

Lamb. — A carcass of lamb should weigh about twenty-five pounds 
before it is old enough to be wholesome and nourishing food ; before it 
has reached that age it is watery and deficient in the elements of 
strength; at any age it is more suitable food for women and children 
than for healthy men. The finest kind has delicate rosy meat, and 
white, almost transparant fac. The flesh of the second quality is soft, 
and rather red compared with the pinkish-white meat of choice kinds; 
the fat is more scanty, and the general appearance coarser. The 
poorest lamb has yellow fat, and lean, flabby red meat, which keeps 
but a short time. Test the freshness of lamb by touching the kidney- 
fat; if it is soft and moist the meat is on the verge of spoiling; a bad 
smell indicates that it is already tainted; it is utterly unfit for use. 

Veal. — Prime veal is light flesh color, and has abundance of hard, 
white, semi-transparent fat. The flesh of the second quality is red in 
contrast to the pinkish-white color of the prime sort ; and the fat is 
whiter, coarser-grained, and less abundant. The poorest kind has de- 
cidedly red flesh, and very litttle kidney-fat. The neck is the first 
part that taints, and it can easily be tested; the loin is just spoiling 
when the kidney-fat begins to grow soft and clammy. 

Read this sentence about bob-veal carefully, ""and be sure to re- 
member it. It is the flesh of calves killed when two orthree weeks old, 
or that of " deaconed calves," which are killed almost as soon as they 
are born, for the value of their skins. This practice cannot be tod 
harshly condemned as a criminal waste of food ; for a stock raiser, or 
farmer, who knows his business can feed his calves until they reach a 
healthy maturity, without seriously interfering with his sup|fly of milk. 
The flesh of bob-veal is a soft, flabby, sticky substance, of a ropy gel- 
atinous nature ; and, being the first flesh, unchanged by the health- 
giving action of air and food, it is devoid of the elements necessary to 
transform it into wholesome food. It SHOULD never be eaten. 

Pork. — The best kind of pork is fresh and pinkish in color, and -the 
fat is firm and white. The second quality has rather hard, red flesh, 
and yellowish fat. The poorest kind has dark, coarse grained meat, 
soft fat, and discoloured kidneys. The flesh of stale pork is moist and 
clammy, and its smell betrays its condition. Measly pork has little 
kernels in the fat, and is unhealthy and dangerous food. After testing-,- 



13 

ns you would beef, so as to see if it is fresh, and making sure that It is 
not measly, we have still to dread the presence of trichina,, a danger, 
ous parasite present in the flesh of some hogs. The surest preventive 
of danger from this cause is thorough cooking, which destroys any 
germs that may exist in the meat. Cook your pork until it is crisp 
and brown, by a good, steady fire, or in boiling water, at least twenty 
minutes to each pound. Pork eaten in cold weather, or moderately in 
summer, alternately with other meats, is a palatable and nutritious food. 
It has a hard fibre, and needs to be thoroughly chewed in order to be 
perfectly digested; for that reason it should be sparingly used by the 
young and the very old. The least fat is found in the leg, which con- 
tains an excess of flesh-forming elements, and resembles lean beef in 
composition; the most fat is in the face and belly. When cured as ba- 
con it readily takes on the anti-septic action of salt and smoke, and 
becomes a valuable adjunct to vegetable food, as well as a pleasant 
relish ; and in this shape it is one of the most important articles in gen- 
eral use. 

Poultry. — Both poultry and game are less nutritious than meat, but 
they are more digestible, and consequently are better food than meat 
for persons of weak digestive organs and sedentary habits. They are 
both excellent for persons who think or write much. Fresh poultry 
may be known by its full bright eyes, pliable feet, and soft moist skin; 
the best is plump, fat, and nearly white, and the grain of the flesh is 
fine. The feet and neck of a young fowl are large in proportion to its 
sire, and the tip of the breast-bone is soft, and easily bent between the 
fingers; a young cock, has soft, loose spurs, and a long, full, bright 
red comb; old fowls have long, thin necks and feet, and the flesh on 
the legs and back has a purplish shade ; chickens and fowls are 
always in season. 

Turkeys are good when white and plump, have full breasts and 
smooth legs, generally black, with soft loose spurs; hen turkeys are 
smaller, fatter, and plumper, but of inferior flavor; full grown turkeys 
are the best for boiling, as they do not tear in dressing; old turkeys 
have long hairs, and the flesh is purplish where it shows under the skin 
on the legs and back. About March they deteriorate in quality. 

Young ducks and geese are plump, with light, semi-transparent fat, 
soft breast-bone, tender flesh, leg joints which will break by the weight 
of the bird, fresh colored and brittle beaks, and windpipes that break 



when pressed between the thumb and forefinger. They are best in fall 
and winter. 

Young pigeons have light red flesh upon the breast, and full, fresh 
colored legs; when the legs are thin, and the breast is very dark, the 
birds are old. 

Game Birds. — Fine game birds are always heavy for their size; the 
flesh of the breast is firm and plump, and the skin clear; and if a few 
feathers be plucked from the inside of the leg and around the vent, the 
flesh of freshly killed birds will be fat and fresh colored ; if it is dark, 
and discolored, the game has been hung a long time. The wings of 
good ducks, geese, pheasants, and woodcock are tender to the toueh; 
the tips of the long wing feathers of partridges are pointed in young 
birds, and round in old ones. Quail, snipe, and small birds should 
have full, tender breasts. 

Pish. — Fish is richer in flesh-forming elements than game, poultry, 
lamb or veal, but it contains less fat and gelatin. It is easily digested, 
and makes strong muscular flesh, but does not greatly increase the 
quantity of fat in the body. The red blooded and oily kinds, such as 
salmon, sturgeon, eels and herring, are much more nutritious than the 
white blooded varieties, such as cod, haddock, and flounders. The 
salting of rich, oily fish like herring, mackerel, salmon, and sturgeon, 
does not deprive it of its nutritive elements to the extent that is 
noticeable with cod; salt cod fish is almost entirely devoid of nutriment, 
while the first named oily varieties are valuable adjuncts to a vegetable 
diet. 

Although fish contains more water and less solid nutriment than 
meat, it is generally useful from its abundance and cheapness; and cer- 
tain kinds which are called red-blooded, are nearly as nourishing as 
meat: oily fish satisfies hunger as completely as meat; herring, especi- 
ally, makes the people who eat it largely strong and sinewy. Sea fish 
are more nourishing than fresh water varieties. 

Sea fish, and those which live in both salt and fresh water, such as 
salmon, shad, and smelts, are the finest flavored; the muddy taste of 
some fresh water species can be overcome by soaking them in cold 
water and salt for two hours or more before cooking; all kinds are best 
just before spawning, the flesh becoming poor and watery after that 
period. Fresh fish have firm flesh, rigid fins, bright, clear eyes, and 
ruddy gills. 



15 

Oysters, clams, scallops, and mussels, should be eaten very fresh, 
as they soon lose their flavor after being removed from the shell. 

Lobsters and crabs should be chosen by their brightness of color, 
lively movement, and great weight in proportion to their size; you 
ought always to buy them alive, and put them head first into a large 
pot of boiling water, containing a handful of salt; they will cook in 
about twenty minutes. 

Vegetables. — &J order to be healthy we must eat some fresh veget- 
ables; they are cheap and nourishing, especially onions and cabbages. 
Peas, beans, and lentils, all of which are among the lowest priced of 
foods, are invaluable in the diet of a laboring man: he can get so much 
nourishment out of them that he hardly needs meat; and if they ai-e 
cooked in the water that has been used for boiling meat, they make the 
healthiest kind of a meal. 

All juicy vegetables should be very fresh and crisp; and if a little 
wilted, can be restored by being sprinkled with water and laid in a 
cool, dark place; all roots and tubers should be pared and laid in 
cold water an hour or more before using. Green vegetables are best 
just before they flower; and roots and tubers are prime from their 
ripening until they begin to sprout. 

When it is possible buy your vegetables by the quantity, from the 
farmers, or market-gardeners, or at the market; you will save more 
than half. Potatoes now cost at Washington market from one to 
one dollar and a half a barrel ; there are three bushels in a barrel, 
and thirty -two quarts in a bushel; now at the groceries you pay 
fifteen cents a half a peck, or four cents a quart; that makes your bar- 
rel of potatoes cost you three dollars and sixty-three cents, if you buy 
half a peck at a time; or three dollars and eighty-four cents if you 
buy by the quart. So y«u see if you could buy a barrel at once you 
could save more than one half of your money. It is worth while to 
try and save enough to do it. 

Fruit. — Fresh fruit is a very important food, especially for chil- 
dren, as it keeps the blood pure, and the bowels regular. Next to 
grains and seeds, it contains the greatest amount of nutriment to a 
given quantity. Apples are more wholesome than any other fruit, 
and plentiful and cheap two- thirds of the time; they nourish, cool, 
and strengthen the body. In Europe laborers depend largely upon 
them for nourishment, and if they have plenty, they can do well 



16 

without meat. They miss apples much more than potatoes, for they 
are much more substantial food. 

All fruit should be bought ripe and sound; it is poor economy to 
buy imperfect or decayed kinds, as they are neither satisfactory nor 
healthy eating; while the mature, full flavored sorts are invaluable 
as food. 

Preserved and dried fruits are luxuries to be indulged in only at 
festivals or holidays. Nuts are full of nutritious oil, but are generally 
hard to digest; they do not come under the head of the necessaries 
of life. 



CHAPTER II. 
How to Cook, Season, and Measure. 

Before beginning to give you receipts, I wish to tell you about the 
effect of cooking food in different ways. We all want it cooked so that 
we can eat it easily, and get the most strength from it, without wasting 
any part of it. I will tell you some very good reasons for making 
soup and stew out of your meat instead of cooking it in any other way. 

Boasting Or Baking. — The first is the most extravagant way of 
cooking meat, as it wastes nearly one third of its substance in drip- 
pings and steam; the second also is very wasteful, unless the meat is 
surrounded with vegetables, or covered with a flour paste. When you 
do bake meat without a covering of paste, put it into a hot oven at the 
start, to crisp the outside and to keep in the valuable juices; you can 
moderate the heat of the oven as soon as the meat is brown, and let it 
finish cooking slowly by the heat of the steam which is constantly 
forming inside of it. It generally takes twenty minutes to bake each 
pound of meat. 

'" Broiling.— This is another extravagant way of cooking meat, for a 
great deal of the fat runs into the fire, and some nourishment escapes 
up the chimney with the steam. If you must broil meat f have your 
fire hot and clear, and your gridiron perfectly clean; and, unless it has 
a ledge to hold the drippings, tip it towards the back of the fire, so that 
the fat will burn there, and not blacken the meat as it would if the 
gridiron were laid flat, and the fat could burn under the meat. Never 



17 

stick a fork into broiled meat to turn it; and do not cut it to see if it is 
done; for if you do either you will let out the juice. Study the follow- 
ing table, and then remember how near the time given in it comes to 
cooking according to your taste. Fish will broil in from five to ten 
minutes; birds and poultry in from three to fifteen minutes: chops in 
from ten to fifteen minutes, and steak in from ten to twenty minutes. 

Boiling and Stewing. — Boiling food slowly, or stewing it gently, 
saves all its goodness. After the pot once boils you cannot make its 
contents cook any faster if you have fire enough under it to run a 
steam engine; so save your fuel, and add it to the fire, little by little, 
only enough at a time to keep the pot boiling. Remember, if you boil 
meat hard and fast it will l>e tough and tasteless, and most of its goodness 
will go up the chimney, or out of the window, with the steam. Boil 
the meat gently, and keep it covered close to save the steam; it will 
condense on the inside of the cover, and fall back in drops of moisture 
upon the meat. 

The following table shows how much is wasted in the different 
ways of cooking we have just spoken of. Four pounds of beef waste in 
boiling or stewing, about one pound of substance, but you have it all 
in the broth if you have kept the pot covered tightly; in baking one 
pound and a quarter is almost entirely lost unless you have plenty of 
vegetables in the dripping pan to absorb and preserve it; in roasting 
before the fire you lose nearly one pound and a half. Do not think you 
save the waste in the shape of drippings; it is poor economy to buy fat 
at the price of meat merely for the pleasure of trying it out. 

Prying. — This is a very good method of cooking fish, and of 
warming cold meat and vegetables. To fry well put into your fry- 
ing pan enough fat to cover what you mean to fry, and let it get 
smoking hot, but do not burn it ; then put in your food, and it will 
not soak fat, and will generally be done by the time it is nicely 
browned. To saute, or half fry any article, you should begin by 
putting in the pan enough fat to cover the bottom, and let it get 
smoking hot, but not burnt before you put in the food. This also is 
a good way to warm over meat, vegetables, oatmeal, or pudding. 

A very good way to cook meat and vegetables together is to put 
them in an earthen jar, cover it tightly, and cement the cover on with 
flour paste; then bake for about four hours. 

If you are going to use a piece of meat cold do not cut it until it 



18 

cools, and it will be more juicy. If the meat is salt let it cool in its 
own pot liquor, for the same reason. 

Salt a&d Smoked Meats. — These meats arc best when they are 
put over the fire in cold water, brought gradually to a boil, and then 
set back from the fierce heat of the fire, so as to keep scalding hot 
without boiling; they take longer to cook this way, but they are 
tender and delicious, and very little fat is wasted. 

Seasoning Food. — Many people have the idea that a finely flavored 
dish must cost a great deal; that is a mistake; if you have untainted 
meat, or sound vegetables, or even Indian meal, to begin with, you 
can make it delicious with proper seasoning. One reason why French 
cooking is so much nicer than any other is that it is seasoned with a 
great variety of herbs and spices; these cost very little; if you would 
buy a few cents' worth at a time you would soon have a good 
assortment. The best kinds are Sage, Thyme, Sweet Marjoram, 
Tarragon, Mint, Sweet Basil, Parsley, Bay-leaves, Cloves, Mace, 
Celery-seed, and onions. It you will plant the seed of any of the 
seven first mentioned in little boxes on your window sill, or in a sunny 
spot in the yard, you can generally raise all you need. Gather and 
dry them as follows: parsley and tarragon should be dried in June 
and July, just before flowering; mint in June and July; thyme, 
marjoram and savory in July and August ; basil and sage in August 
and September; all herbs should be gathered in the sun-shine, and 
dried by artificial heat: their flavor is best preserved by keeping them 
in air-tight tin cans, or in tightly corked glass bottles. 

Pried Celery and Parsley. — if you ever use celery, wash the 

leaves, stalks, roots and trimmings, and put them in a cool oven to 
dry thoroughly; then grate the root, and rub the leaves and stalks 
through a sieve, and put all into a tightly corked bottle, or tin can 
with close cover; this makes a most delicious seasoning for soups, 
stews, and stuffing. When you use parsley, save every bit of leaf, 
stalk or root you do not need, and treat them in the same way as the 
celery. Remember in using parsley that the root has even a stronger 
flavor than the leaves, and do not waste a bit. 

Dried Herbs. — When you buy a bunch of dried herbs rub the 
leaves through a sieve, and bottle them tightly until you need them; 
tie the stalks together and save them until you want to make what the 
French call a bouquet ', for a soup or stew. A btuquet of herbs i»m»de 



'9 

by tying together a few sprigs of parsley, thyme and two bay-leaves. 
The bay -leaves, which have the flavor of laurel, can be bought at any 
German grocery, or drug-store, enough to last for a long time for 
five cents. 

Table SaXLCe. — There is no reason why you should not sometimes 
have a nice relish for cold meat when you can make a pint of it for 
six cents, so I will give you a receipt for it. Get at Washington market 
at the herb stand, a bunch of Tarragon; it will cost five cents in 
the summer, when it is green and strong, and not much more in the 
winter; put it in an earthen bowl, and pour on it one pint of scalding 
hot vinegar; cover it and let it stand until the next day; then strain 
it, and put it into a bottle which you must cork tight. Either put 
more hot vinegar on the tarragon, or dry it, and save it until you want 
to make more; you can make a gallon of sauce from one bunch, only 
every time you use it you must let it stand a day longer. 

- Celer7 Salt. — ^ y° u imx celery root, which has been dried and 
grated as above, with one fourth its quantity of salt, it makes a nice 
seasoning and keeps a long time. 

Spice Salt. — You can make this very nicely by drying, powdering 
and mixing by repeated siftings the following ingredients: one quarter 
of an ounce each of powdered thyme, bay-leaf, and pepper; one 
eighth of an ounce each of marjoram and cayenne pepper, one half 
of an ounce each of powdered clove and nutmeg; to every four ounces 
of this powder add one ounce of salt, and keep the mixture in an air- 
tight vessel. One ounce of it added to three pounds of stuffing, or 
forcemeat of any kind, makes a delicious seasoning. 

Lemon and Orange Tincture* — Never throw away lemon or orange 
peel; cut the yellow outside off carefully, and put it into a tightly 
corked bottle with enough alcohol to cover it. Let it stand until the 
alcohol is a bright yellow, then pour it off, bottle it tight, and use it 
for flavoring when you make rice pudding. Add lemon and alcohol as 
often as you have it, and you will always have a nice flavoring. 

Vanilla Tincture. — Make this from a broken Vanilla Bean, just as 
you would make Lemon Tincture. When you make a plain rice pud- 
ding, and when you boil rice with sweetening, put a teaspoonful of 
either of these tinctures with it, and it will be very good. 

Measuring. — Be careful about measuring. Do not think you can 
guess just right every time; you cannot doit. One day the dinner 



20 

will be a great deal better than another, and you will wonder why; 
it will be because it is carefully seasoned and properly cooked. A 
good rule for seasoning soups and stews, is half an ounce, or a level 
tablespoonful of salt, and half a level teaspoonful of pepper to each 
quart of water; try it, if it is right you will know how much to use; if 
it is not right, alter it to suit your taste; but settle the point for 
once, and then you will know what to depend upon. The following 
table will give you some good hints about measuring; there are four 
teaspoonfuls in one tablespoon: two tablespoonfuls in one ounce; two 
ounces in one wineglassful ; two wineglassfuls in one gill; two gills in 
one good sized cupful; two cupfuls in one pint; two pints in one quart. 
One quart of sifted flour, thrown into the measure, and shaken down, 
but not pressed, weighs one pound; one quart of Indian corn meal, 
shaken down in the measure weighs one pound and three ounces; one 
quart of fine sugar weighs one pound and a half. 



CHAPTER III. :> -■•;•.*'> ,'r 

Beverages. 

In my little book on "Fifteen Cent Dinners," I decidedly 
advocate the substitution of milk or milk and water as a drink at meal 
times, for tea and coffee, on the score of economy; because milk is a 
food, while the two former drinks are chiefly stimulants. They are 
pleasant because they warm and exhilarate, but they are luxuries 
because they give no strength; therefore their use is extravagant when 
we are pinched for healthy food. It is true that when we drink them 
we do not feel as hungry as we do without them. The sensation of 
hunger is nature's sure sign that the body needs a new supply of food 
because the last has been exhausted; the change of the nourishing 
qualities of food into strength is always going on as long as any re- 
mains in the system; the use of tea, coffee, and alcohol, hinders this 
change, and consequently we are less hungry when we use them than 
when we do without them. ». Tea and coffee are certainly important 
aids to the cheerfulness and comfort of home; and when the first stage 
of economy, where every penny must be counted, has passed, we do 



21 

not know of any pleasanter accessory to a. meal than a cup of good 
tea or coffee. 

Tea. — The physiological action of very strong tea is marked; mod- 
erately used it excites the action of the skin, lungs, and nervous sys- 
tem, and soothes any undue action of the heart; used to excess, it 
causes indigestion, nervousness, and wakefulness. No doubt its effects 
are greatly modified by climate, for the Russians drink enormous 
quantities of very strong, fine tea. A recent war report gives the fol- 
lowing account of its use in the army. 

"The Russian soldiers are said to live and fight almost wholly 
upon tea. The Cossacks often carry it about in the shape of bricks, or 
rather tiles, which, before hardening, are soaked in sheep's blood and 
boiled in milk, with the addition of flour, butter and salt, so as to con- 
stitute a kind of soup. The passion of the Russian for this beverage 
is simply astonishing. In the depth of winter he will empty twenty 
cups in succession, at nearly boiling point, until he perspires at every 
pore, and then, in a state of excitement rush out, roll in the snow, get 
up and go on to the next similar place of entertainment. So with the 
army. With every group or circle of tents travels the invariable tea 
kettle, suspended from a tripod; and it would be in vain to think of 
computing how many times each soldier's pannikin is filled upon a 
halt. It is his first idea. Frequently he carries it cold in a copper 
case as a solace upon the march." 

Dr. Edward Smith sums up the physiological action of tea as fol- 
lows: 

"I — A sense or wakefulness. 

"2 — Clearness of mind, and activity of thought and imagination. 

"3 — Increased disposition to make muscular exertion. 

4, 4 — Reaction, with a sense of exhaustion in the morning following 
the preceding efforts, and in proportion to them." 

Coffee. — The action of coffee is so similar to that of tea that we need 
not consider it separately; it will be sufficient to remark that the chief 
points of difference are lessening the action of the skin, increasing the 
action of the heart, and, when used very strong, aiding digestion to 
some extent. 

COCOA and CllOCOlate. — Both these articles are made from the ker- 
nels of a tropical fruit, about the size of a cucumber, the fleshy part of 
which is sometimes used to produce a vinous liquor; they are produced 



22 

from the seeds of the cocoa palm, and from a kind of ground nut. 
These kernels consist of gum, starch, and vegetable oil; and are mar- 
keted as cocoa shells, which are the husks of the kernel; cocoa nibs, 
which consist of the crushed nuts; and ground cocoa, which is the ker- 
nels ground fine. 

Chocolate is the finely ground powder from the kernels, mixed to 
a stiff paste with sugar, and, sometimes, a little starch. It is very nu- 
tritious; when it is difficult to digest remove from its solution the oily 
cake which will collect upon the surface as it cools. It is so nutritious 
that a small cake of it, weighing about two ounces, will satisfy hunger; 
for that reason it is a good lunch for travellers. 

Both cocoa and chocolate are very nutritious, and are free from the 
reactionary influences of tea and coffee. Let us count the cost of these 
beverages, and see which is the best for us. * 

One quart of weak tea can be made from three teaspoonfuls, or 
half an ounce, of tea, (which cost at least one cent;) we must have for 
general use a gill of milk, (at one cent,) and four teaspoonfuls or one 
ounce of sugar, (at one cent); thus if we use only the above quantities 
of milk and sugar, one quart of tea costs three cents; if we increase 
them it will cost more. 

One quart of weak coffee can be made from one ounce, or two 
tablespoonfuls of coffee, (at a cost of two cents;) two tablespoonfuls or 
ounces of sugar, (two cents,) and a half a pint of milk, (two cents;) the 
total cost six cents. 

One quart of cocoa can be made from two ounces, or eight table- 
spoonfuls of cocoa shells, (which cost two cents,) with half a pint of 
milk, and an ounce of sugar, (at four cents more;) we have a quart of 
good, nutritious drink at six cents. It is all the better if the shells are 
boiled gently two or three hours. Of course the nibs, or crushed 
cocoa, and chocolate, will both produce a correspondingly nutritious 
beverage. 

Beer. — Very poor families sometimes spend every day for beer 
enough to buy them a good, wholesome meal, because they think it 
makes them strong. Beer, like all other liquors, is of no value what- 
ever in making strength; it only nerves you up to spend r.il you can 
muster under the excitement it causes, and then leaver you weaker 
than before. What you need when you crave liquor Is a good, warm 
meal. The best doctors say that a man cannot drii.V. more than about 



23 

a pint and a half of beer a day without injuring his health; and that 
healthy people, during youth and middle age, do not need it at all. Let 
it, and all other liquors alone entirely, and you will be better off in 
health and purse. 

Beer for Nursing Women. — It is generally believed that women 
who drink malt liquor are able to nurse children to greater advantage 
than those who do not use it. The fact is that while the quantity of 
milk may be increased, its nourishing quality will be impaired. There 
maybe more milk for the child, but it will be poor. The effect of 
all malt liquors is to promote the secretion of the fluids of the body, 
but not to enrich them. Do not drink beer for the sake of your child, 
but try milk, or milk and water instead, and see if after a fair trial you 
do not have plenty for the baby, and if it does not grow strong and fat. 
If milk does not agree with you, or you cannot afford it, use barley 
water; it will not only give you plenty of milk, but it will nourish you 
as well as the baby. You will get from it all the nourishment that 
you may fancy you get from malt liquor, with this advantage: in the 
barley water you will get all the nutriment of the grain unchanged, 
while in the form of beer the fermentation has destroyed part of it. 
The following is a good receipt: 

Barley Water. — Thoroughly wash two ounces of pearl barley, 
(which costs less than two cents,) to remove any musty or bad flavor, 
put it over the fire in two quarts of cold water, and boil it until it is 
reduced to one quart; then strain it, cool it, and drink it when- 
ever you are thirsty. A little sugar can be used without hurting the 
baby. 

Milk. — I have already said that milk is the most perfect food; we 
will now see what it is made of, and how it nourishes the body; and 
then we can understand how necessary it is to have it pure. The ele- 
ments of milk which strengthen the whole body are the solid parts 
that separate in the form of curd when it begins to turn sour; the whey 
contains the salts and phosphates which strengthen the brain, bones, 
and digestive organs; the cream is the part which makes us fat. When 
we remember that cheese is made from the curd of milk we can see 
why it is so valuable as food, and why a meal of black or brown bread 
and cheese will satisfy a hungry man. 

Try to afford at least a quart of good milk every day. It can be 
bought in New York now for seven or eight cents a quart; and if the 



children have plenty of seconds bread, or oatmeal porridge, and a cup 
of milk, at meal times, they will be strong and rosy. 

Skim-milk, butter-milk, and whey, are all excellent foods, and far 
better drinks than beer or whiskey. Make a plain pudding now and 
then, with skim-milk, adding an ounce of suet to restore its richness. 
If the milk has turned a little sour add lime water to it, in the propor- 
tion of four tablespoonfuls of the lime water to a quart. If the lime 
water is added before the milk begins to turn it will help keep it fresh. 
The following is a good receipt for making lime water: 

Lime Water. — Slack four ounces of quick lime with a little water, 
and gradually add enough water to make a gallon in all ; let it stand 
three hours, then bottle it in glass stoppered bottles, putting a portion 
of the undissolved lime in each bottle; when you want to use some, 
pour off the clear fluid from the top. 

Children should never have tea, coffee, or liquor; all these drinks 
hurt them; give them milk, or milk and water; or pure water, if you 
cannot afford milk. But you had better scant their clothes than then- 
supply of milk. If you have to limit the supply of food, deny them 
something else, but give them plenty of bread and scalded milk, and 
you can keep them healthy. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Bread, Macaroni, and Rice. 

Homemade-bread is healthier, satisfies hunger better, and is 
cheaper than baker's bread. Make bread yourself if you possibly can. 
Use "middlings" if you can possibly get them; they contain the best 
elements of wheat. "Household Flour" has similar qualities, but is 
sometimes made from inferior kinds of wheat. Both are darker and 
cheaper than fine white flour; and bread made from them takes 
longer to "rise" than that made from fine flour. Bayers' bread is 
generally made from poor flour mixed with a little of the better sort; 
or with a little alum, which added to the wheat grown in wet seasons, 
keeps the bread From being pasty and poor in taste. 

The prices of bakers' bread upon the streets in the eastern and 



2 5 

western parts of the city are as follows: ordinary white bread, five 
cent loaf weighs three quarters of a pound: six cent loaf weighs four- 
teen ounces: eight cent loaf weighs one pound and ten ounces; black 
bread, two eight cent loaves weigh, respectively, one pound eight, and 
one pound ten ounces; fine French bread, eight cent loaf weighs three 
quarters of a pound; in the French quarter a six cent loaf weighs one 
pound. We advise the purchase of new flour in preference to old, be- 
cause, unless flour is cooled and dried before it is packed, the combin- 
ed action of heat and dampness destroys its gluten, and turns it sour; 
gluten is the nutritive part of the flour, that which makes it absorb 
water, and yield more bread. If you do not have a;good oven, your 
bread can be baked at the baker's for about a cent a loaf. When bread 
is made too light it is tasteless, and lacks nourishment, because the 1 de- 
cay caused in the elements of the flour used to make it by the great 
quantity of yeast employed, destroys the most nutritious parts of it. 
A pint of milk in a batch of four loaves of bread gives you a pound 
more bread of better quality, and helps to make it moist. Scalded 
skim milk will go as far as fresh whole milk, and you can use the 
cream for some other dish. One pound of pea-meal, or ground split- 
peas, added to every fourteen pounds of flour used for bread increases 
its nourishment, and helps to satisfy hunger. 

Keep your bread in a covered earthen jar; when it is too stale to 
eat, or make into bread broth, dry it in a cool oven, or over the top of 
the fire, roll it with a rolling-pin, sift it through a sieve, and save the 
finest crumbs to roll fish or chops in for frying, and the largest for 
puddings. If a whole loaf is stale put it into a tight tin can, and either 
steam it, or put it into a moderately warm oven for half an hour; it 
will then be as good as fresh bread to the taste, and a great deal more 
healthy. 

A good allowance of bread each day is as follows: for a man two 
pounds, costing six cents; for boys and women one pound and a half, 
costing five cents; for children a pound each, costing three cents. 

HomemadO Bread. — Put seven pounds of flour into a deep pan, 
and make a hollow in the centre; into this put one quart of lukewarm 
water, one tablespoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of sugar, and half a 
gill of yeast; have ready three pints more of warm water, and use as 
much of it as is necessary to make a rather soft dough, mixing and 
kneading it well with both hands. When it is smooth and shining 



26 

strew a little flour upon it, lay a large towel over it folded, and set it 
in a warm place by the fire for four or five hours to rise; then knead it 
again for fifteen minutes, cover it with the towel^ and set it to rise once 
more; then divide it into two or four loaves, and bake it in a quick 
oven. This quantity of flour will make eight pounds of bread, and 
will require one hour's baking to two pounds of dough. It will cost 
about thirty cents, and will last about two days and a half for a family 
of six. In cold weather, the dough should be mixed in a warm room, 
and not allowed to cool while rising; if it does not rise well, set the 
pan containing it over a large vessel of boiling water; it is best to mix 
the bread at night, and let it rise till morning, in a warm and even 
temperature. 

&C0 Bread. — Simmer one pound of rice in three quarts of water 
until the rice is soft, and the water evaporated or absorbed; let it cool 
until it is only luke-warm; mix into it nearly four pounds of flour, 
two teaspoonfuls of salt, and four tablespoonfuls of yeast; knead it 
until it is smooth and shining, let it rise before the fire, make it up into 
loaves with the little flour reserved from the four pounds, and bake it 
thoroughly. It will cost about twenty-five cents, and make more than 
eight pounds of excellent bread. 

Potato Bread. — Take good, mealy boiled potatoes, in the propor- 
tion of one-third of the quantity of flour you propose to use, pass them 
through a coarse sieve into the flour, using a wooden spoon and adding 
enough cold water to enable you to pass them through readily; use 
the proper quantity of yeast, salt, and water, and make up the bread 
in the usual way. It will cost about twenty-four cents if you use the 
above quantities, and give you eight pounds or more of good bread. 

Pulled Bread. — Take from the oven an ordinary loaf of bread 
when it is about half baked, and with the fingers, while it is yet hot, 
pull it apart in egg-sized pieces of irregular shape; throw them upon 
tins, and bake them in a slow oven to a rich brown color. This bread 
is excellent to eat with cheese or wine. An ordinary sized loaf, costing., 
about three cents makes a large panful. ■ f 

Bread made with, Baking Powder. — Where bread is made with* 

baking powder the following rules should be closely observed: if any 
shortening be used, it should be rubbed into the flour before it is wet; 
cold water or sweet milk should always be used to wet it, and the dough 
should be kneaded immediately, and only long enough to thoroughly 



27 

mix it and form it in the desired shape; it should then be placed in a 
well-heated oven and baked quickly — otherwise the carbonic acid gas 
will escape before the expanded cells are fixed in the bread, and thus 
the lightness of the loaf will be impaired. 

Breakfast Rolls. — Mix well by sifting together half a pound of flour, 
(cost two cents,) a heaping teaspoonful of baking powder, a level tea- 
spoonful of salt, and a heaping teaspoonful of sugar, (cost one cent;) 
rub into a little of the above one ounce of lard, (cost one cent,) mix it 
with the rest of the flour, and quickly wet it up with enough cold milk 
to enable you to roll it out about half an inch thick, (cost two cents;) 
cut out the dough with a tin shape or with a sharp knife, in the form 
of diamonds, lightly wet the top with water, and double them half 
over. Put them upon a tin, buttered and warmed, and bake them in a 
hot oven. This receipt will cost about six cents, and will make about 
nine good sized rolls. 

Tea Biscuit. — Mix as above, using the same proportions, and cutting 
out with a biscuit-cutter; when they are baked, wash them over with 
cold milk, and return them to the oven for a moment to dry. The cost 
is the same. 

Macaroni. — This is a paste made from the purest wheat flour and 
water; it is generally known as a rather luxurious dish among the 
wealthy; but it should become one of the chief foods of the people, for 
it contains more gluten, or the nutritious portion of wheat, than bread. 
It is one of the most wholesome and economical of foods, and can be 
varied so as to give a succession of palatable dishes at a very small 
cost. The imported macaroni can be bought at Italian stores for about 
fifteen cents a pound; and that quantity when boiled yields nearly four 
times its bulk, if it has been manufactured for any length of time. 
Good macaroni is yellow or brownish in color; white sorts are always 
poor. It should never be soaked or washed before boiling, or put into 
cold or lukewarm water; wipe it carefully, break it in whatever lengths 
you want it, and put it into boiling water, to every quart of which half 
a tablespoonful of salt is added ; you can boil an onion with it if you like 
the flavor; as soon as it is tender enough to yield easily when pressed 
between the fingers, drain it in a colander, saving its liquor for the next 
day's broth, and lay it in cold water until you want to use it.^1, When 
more macaroni has been boiled than is used it can be kept perfectly 
good by laying it in fresh water, which must be changed every day. 



2S 

After boiling the macaroni as above, you can use it according to any 
of the following directions. Half a pound of uncooked macaroni will 
make a large dishful. 

Macaroni, Farmers' Style. — Boil half a pound of macaroni as above, 
and while you are draining it from the cold water, stir together over 
the fire one ounce each of butter and flour, and as soon as they bubble 
gradually pour into the sauce they make, a pint of boiling water, beat- 
ing it with a fork or egg whip until it is smooth; season it with a level 
teaspoonful of salt and a level saltspoonful of pepper, and put the mac- 
aroni in it to heat; then cut an onion in small shreds, and brown it over 
the fire in a very little fat ; when both are done dish the macaroni, and 
pour the onion out of the frying pan upon it. It is excellent; and ten 
cents will cover the cost of all of it. 

Macaroni With BrotL — ^ut half a pound of macaroni, boiled as 
above and washed in cold water, over the fire with any kind of broth, or 
one pint of cold gravy and water; season it to taste with pepper and salt, 
and let it heat slowly for an hour, or less if you. are in a hurry; then 
lay it on a flat dish, strew over it a few bread crumbs, which you will 
almost always have on hand if you save all the bits I speak of in the 
article on bread; then set the dish in the oven, or in front of the fire 
to brown. It will cost less than ten cents, and be delicious and very 
hearty. 

MacarO&i With White SatLCe. — Warm half a pound of macaroni, boil- 
ed and washed in cold water, as above, in the following sauce, and use it 
as soon as it is hot. Stir together over the fire one ounce each of butter 
and flour, pouring in one pint of boiling water and milk, as soon as the 
butter and flour are mixed; season it with salt and pepper to taste, and 
put the macaroni into it. This dish costs less than ten cents, and is 
very good and wholesome. 

Macaroni With Cheese. — Boil half a pound of macaroni, as above, 
put into a pudding dish in layers with quarter of a pound of cheese, 
(cost four cents,) grated and mixed between the layers; season it with 
pepper and salt to taste ; put a very little butter and some bread crumbs 
over it, and brown it in the oven. It will make just as hearty and 
strengthening a meal as meat, and will cost about twelve cents. 

Macaroni Milanais© Style. — Have ready some sauce, made accord- 
ing to the receipt for Tomato Sauce given below, or use some fresh 
tomatoes passed through a sieve with a wooden spoon, and highly sea- 



*9 

soned, and two ounces of grated cheese; put half a pound of imported 
Italian macaroni, (cost eight cents,) in three quarts of boiling water, 
with two tablespoonfuls of salt, one saltspoonful of pepper, and a 
teaspoonful of butter, (cost one cent;) boil rapidly for about twenty 
minutes, then drain it in a colander, run plenty of cold water from the 
faucet through it, and lay it in a pan of cold water until you are ready 
to use it. Put into a sauce -pan one gill of tomato sauce, (cost two 
cents,) one ounce of butter, (cost two cents,) and one gill of any meat 
gravy free from fat, and stir until they are smoothly blended: put a 
half inch layer of macaroni on the bottom of a dish, moisten it with 
four tablespoonfuls of the sauce, sprinkle over it half an ounce of the 
grated cheese; make three other layers like this, using all the macaro- 
ni, cheese, and sauce, and brown the macaroni in a hot oven for about 
five minutes; serve it hot. It will cost about thirteen cents. 

Macaroni Wltb Tomato Sauce. — Boil half a pound of macaroni as 
already directed, and lay it in cold water. Make a tomato sauce as 
follows, and dress the macaroni with it, using only enough to moisten 
it, and sprinkling the top with an ounce of grated cheese, (cost one 
cent;) serve it hot. 

Tomato SaUCd. — Boil together for one hour quarter of a can of to- 
matoes, or six large fresh ones, (cost five cents,) one gill of broth of any 
kind, one sprig of thyme, one sprig of parsley, three whole cloves, 
three peppercorns, and half an ounce of onion sliced; (cost two cents;) 
rub them through a sieve with a wooden spoon, and set the sauce to 
keep hot; mix together over the fire one ounce of butter, and half an 
ounce of flour, (cost two cents,) and when smooth incorporate with the 
tomato sauce. The cost of the tomato sauce will be about ten cents, 
and of the entire dish about eighteen cents. If you do not wish to use 
all the tomato sauce, and you do not need to, save it to use with fried 
chops of any kind. 

Bice. — Rice is largely composed of starch, and for that reason is 
less nutritious than flour, oatmeal, Indian meal, or macaroni ; but it is 
a wholesome and economical food when used with a little meat broth, 
drippings, or molasses. It is a very safe food for children, especially 
if used with a little molasses. The following is an excellent supper 
dish. 



3° 

BlCO Panada. — Boil half a pound of rice, (which costs five cent*,) 
quarter of a pound of suet, (at two cents,) with one tablespoonful of 
salt, and one of sugar, (cost one cent,) fast in boiling water for fifteen 
minutes; meantime mix half a pound of flour, (cost two cents.) 
gradually with one quart of water, and one gill of molasses, (cost two 
cents;) stir this into the boiling rice, and boil it for about five 
minutes; this makes a nice supper of over five pounds of good, nutri- 
tious food for twelve cents. 

Boiled HlCe. — Another good dish of rice for supper can be made as 
follows. Wash half a pound of rice (cost five cents,) throw it into one 
quart of boiling water, containing two teaspoonfuls of salt, and boil it 
fast ten minutes; drain it in a colander, saving the water to use with 
broth next day; meantime just grease the pot with sweet drippings, 
put the rice back in it, cover it, and set it on a brick on the top of the 
stove, or in a cool oven, and let it stand ten minutes to swell ; be 
careful not to burn it. The addition of a very little butter, sugar, 
molasses, nutmeg, lemon juice, or salt and pepper, will give it 
different flavors; so that you can vary the taste, and have it often 
without getting tired of it, and it need never cost you over seven cents, 

Eice, Milanaise Style. — Fry one ounce of butter, (cost two cents,) 
light brown; put into it half a pound of rice, (cost five cents,) well 
picked over, but not washed, and one ounce of onion, chopped fine; stir 
and brown for about five minutes, then add a pint of gravy from meat, 
season with a level teaspoonful of salt, quarter that quantity of pepper, 
and as much cayenne as you can take on the point of a very small pen- 
knife blade; the onion and seasoning will cost less than two cents; 
stew gently for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, 
and serve as soon as the rice is tender. This makes a palatable dish 
for about ten cents. 

Bice, Japanese Style. — Put half a pound of well washed rice into 
a double kettle, with one pint of milk or water, one heaping teaspoon- 
ful of salt, and quarter of a medium sized nutmeg grated; boil it until 
tender, about forty minutes; if it seems very dry add a little more 
liquid, taking care not to have it sloppy when it is cooked. When 
milk is used it may be served with milk and sugar as a breakfast or 
tea dish; when water takes the place of milk, the addition of an ounce 
of butter, and half a saltspoonful of pepper makes a nice dinner dish 
of it. 



3* 



CHAPTER V. 

Sour. 

The value of soup as food cannot be overestimated. 

In times of scarcity and distress, when the question has arisen of 
how to feed the largest number of persons upon the least quantity of 
food, the aliment chosen has always been soup. There are two reasons 
for this: first, by the addition of water to the ingredients used we secure 
the aid of this important agent in distributing nutrition equally through- 
out the blood, to await final absorption; and, second, we gain that 
sense of repletion so necessary to the satisfaction of hunger — the fact 
being acknowledged that the sensation we call hunger is often allayed 
by the presence of even innutritious substances in the stomach. 

Good soup is literally the juice of any ingredient from which it is 
made — the extract of the meat, grains, or vegetables composing it. 
The most economical of soups, eaten with bread, will satisfy the hun- 
ger of the hardest worker. The absolute nutritive value of soup de- 
pends, of course, upon its ingredients; and these can easily be chosen 
in reference to the maintenance of health. For instance, the pot-liquor 
in which meat has been boiled needs only the addition of a few dump- 
lings or cereals, and seasoning, to form a perfect nutriment. That pro- 
duced from skin and bones can be made equally palatable and nutri- 
tious by boiling with it a few vegetables and sweet herbs, and some 
rice, barley, or oatmeal. Even the gelatinous residue produced by 
long-continued boiling, without the presence of any foreign matter, 
is a useful emollient application to the inflamed mucous surfaces in some 
diseases, while it affords at the same time the degree of distention 
necessary to prevent flatulency. 

The time required to make the most palatable and nutritious soup 
is short. Lean meat should be chopped fine, placed in cold water, in 
the proportion of a pint to each pound, slowly heated, and thoroughly 
skimmed. Five minutes' boiling will extract from the meat every par- 
ticle of its nutriment and flavor. The liquor can then be strained off, 



3 2 

seasoned, and eaten with bread, biscuit, or vegetables. Peas or beans 
boiled and added to the soup make it the most perfect food for sustain- 
ing health and strength. It is the pure juice of the meat and contains 
all its savory and life-giving principles. 

If your family is large, it will be well for you to keep a clean 
saucepan, or pot on the back of the stove to receive all the clean scraps 
of meat, bones, and remains of poultry and game, which are found in 
every kitchen; but vegetables should not be put into it, as they are apt 
to sour. The proper proportions for soup are one pound of meat and 
bone to one and a half quarts of cold water; the meat and bones to be 
well chopped and broken up, and put over the fire in cold water, being 
brought slowly to a boil, and carefully skimmed as often as any scum 
rises; and being maintained at a steady boiling point from two to six 
hours, as time permits; one hour before the stock is done, add to it one 
carrot and one turnip pared, one onion stuck with three cloves, and a 
bouquet of sweet herbs. 

When soup is to be boiled six hours you must allow two quarts of 
water to every pound of meat, and you must see that the'pot boils slow- 
ly and regularly, and is well skimmed. When you want to keep soup 
from one meal to another, or over night, you must pour it into an 
earthen pot, or bowl, because it will turn by being allowed to remain 
in the metal pot. 

I shall give you first some receipts for making soups without meat, 
and then some of the cheapest meat soups I have tried. The first is very 
cheap and nutritious, and should be served at meals where no meat is 
to be used; bread, and a cheap pudding, will be sufficient to use with 
it. 

Scotch. Broth without Meat. — Steep four ounces of pearl barley, 
(cost three cents,) over night in cold water, and wash it well in fresh 
water; cut in dice half an inch square, six ounces of yellow turnip, 
six ounces of carrot, four ounces of onion, two ounces of celery, (or use 
in its place quarter of a saltspoonful of celery seed, (cost of all about 
one cent,) put all these into two and a half quarts of boiling water, 
season with a teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, 
and as much cayenne as you can take up on the point of a very small 
pen-knife blade, (cost one cent;) boil slowly for two hours; then stir in 
quarter of a pound of oatmeal, (cost two cents,) mixed to a smooth 
batter with cold water, see if seasoning be correct, add two or three 



S3 

grates of nutmeg, and boil half an hour. Meantime, cut two slices of 
bread, (cost one cent,) in half inch dice, fry light brown in hot fat, (cost 
two cents,) and lay the bits in the soup tureen; when the soup is 
ready pour it over them, and serve. This soup, which costs only about 
ten cents, is palatable as well as economical. 

Pea Soup- — Use half a pint, or seven ounces of dried peas, (costj 
three cents,) for every two quarts of soup you want. Put them in three] 
quarts of cold water, after washing them well; bring them slowly to a* 
boil; add a bone, or bit of ham, if you have it to spare, one turnip, 
and one carrot peeled, one onion stuck with three cloves, (cost three 
cents,) and simmer three hours, stirring occasionally to prevent burn- 
ing; then pass the soup through a sieve with the aid of a potato-masher, 
and it it shows any sign of settling stir into it one tablespoonful 
each of butter and flour mixed together dry, (cost two cents;) this will 
prevent settling; meantime fry some dice of stale bread, about two slices, 
cut half an inch square, in hot fat, drain them on a sieve, and put them 
in the bottom of the soup tureen in which the pea soup is served; or cut 
some bits of very hard stale bread, or dry toast, to use instead of the 
fried bread. By the time the soup is done it will have boiled down to 
two quarts, and will be very thick and good. This receipt will cost you 
about ten cents. 

Thick Pea Soup. — Fry one sliced onion, (cost half a cent,) in one 
ounce of suet or drippings, (cost half a cent,) using an iron pot to fry 
it in; as soon as it is brown, put into the same pot, three quarts of cold 
water, one pint, or fourteen ounces of well washed peas, (cost five 
cents,) and boil as above; this quantity of peas does not need any 
crusts in the soup; it will be thick enough; but bread may be eaten 
with it, if you want it. This soup costs six cents. 

Bean Soup. — For this, use the receipt for pea soup, using beans in- 
stead of peas; the cost will be about the same. 

Lentil Soup. — For two quarts of soup half a pint of yellow lentils, 
(cost five cents,) washed, and put to boil in three pints of cold water, 
with one cents' worth of soup greens, and boiled gently until the lentils 
are soft enough to break between the fingers; every half hour a gill of 
cold water should be added, and the lentils again raised to a boiling 
point, until they are done; they should then be passed through a sieve 
with a wooden spoon, using enough of the liquor to make them pass 
easy, and mixed with the rest of the soup; it should be seasoned with 



3* 

salt and pepper, and is then ready to simmer for half an hour, and 
serve hot, with dice of fried bread half an inch square, like those used 
for pea soup, or with bits of stale bread. A plentiful dinner of lentil 
soup and bread costs only about ten cents. 

Onion Soup. — Chop half a quart of onions, (cost three cents,) fry 
them brown, in a large saucepan, with two ounces of drippings, stir- 
ring until they are well browned, but not burned; then stir in half a 
pound, or a little less, of oatmeal, (cost three cents,) add three quarts 
of water, and season to taste with pepper and salt; (the drippings and 
seasoning cost one cent;) while the soup is boiling, which must be for 
about twenty minutes, with occasional stirring, toast a third of a six 
cent loaf of bread, cut it in half inch bits, lay it in the soup tureen; and 
when the soup is ready pour it on the toast. The soup will cost about 
ten cents, and is extremely nourishing. 

Spinach Soup. — Put on e quart of spinach, (cost five cents,) to 
boil in a large pot, full of boiling water, well salted with two table- 
spoonfuls of salt; cover until it boils up once; then remove the cover, 
and with a wooden spoon press the spinach under water as fast as it 
rises to the surface; boil it steadily only until it is tender; then drain 
it; run plenty of cold water from the faucet over it, while it is still in 
the colander; drain it again, chop it fine, and pass it through a kitchen 
sieve with the aid of a wooden spoon; boil one quart of milk, (cost 
eight cents,) and one quart of water; add the spinach to it, thicken it 
by stirring in two tablespoonfuls of corn starch dissolved in cold milk; 
season it with one teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a saltspoonful of white 
pepper, and the same of nutmeg; (cost of seasoning one cent,) and 
serve it as soon as it boils up. It costs only fifteen cents, and is deli- 
cious. 

Soup can be made from any green vegetable or herb in the same 
way. 

Vegetable Soup. — The following is the receipt given by the cele- 
brated Francatelli for a cheap vegetable soup: Put six quarts of 
water to boil in a large pot with quarter of a pound of suet, or two 
ounces of drippings, (cost about two cents,) season it with a level table- 
spoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, and a few sprigs of pars- 
ley and dried herbs, (cost of seasoning one cent;) while it is boiling 
prepare about ten cents' worth of cabbage, turnips, beans, or any cheap 
vegetables in season; throw them into the boiling soup, and when they 



35 

have boiled up thoroughly, set the pot at the side of the fire, where it 
will simmer, for about two hours. Then take up some of the vegeta- 
bles without breaking, and use them with any gravy you may have on 
hand, or with quarter of a pound of bacon, (cost four cents,) sliced and 
fried, for the bulk of the meal; the soup after being seasoned to taste 
can be eaten with bread, at the beginning of the meal, the whole of 
which can be provided for about twenty cents. 

Vegetable Porridge. — P are an d slice thin ten cents' worth of car- 
rots, turnips, onions, and parsnips, and put them into three quarts of 
water, with a few sprigs of parsley and dried herbs; season them with 
half a tablespoonful of salt, and quarter of a teaspoonful of pepper, 
and let them boil till very soft, two hours or more ; then rub them all 
through a colander, return the porridge to the pot, and set it over the 
fire to heat, stirring it to prevent burning. Use it with bread ; it will 
cost about fifteen cents for enough for a hearty meat. 

Rice Hilk. — P ut half a pound of well-washed rice into two quarts 
of boiling water, with two ounces of sweet drippings, a teaspoonful of 
salt, and a bit of cinnamon, or lemon peel, and let all boil gently about 
an hour; then add one quart of milk, and stir the rice for about ten 
minutes. A little sugar or molasses may be added if you want it sweet. 
It makes an excellent breakfast or supper dish, and costs about fifteen 
cents. 

Fish Soup. — Make this soup from any rich, glutinous fish, such as 
cod's head, halibut neck, flounders, skate, or any cheap fish which is in 
season, and which you can buy for five or six cents a pound. Chop 
one or two onions, fry them in a pot with two ounces of drippings, till 
light brown; season with a level tablespoonful of salt, half a teaspoon- 
ful of pepper, and a teaspoonful of sweet herbs of any kind, then add 
two quarts of hot water, and let all boil for ten minutes; meantime mix 
quarter of a pound of oatmeal with one pint of cold water, and wash 
and cut in two-inch pieces about two pounds of fish; when the soup 
has boiled ten minutes, put the fish into it, and carefully stir in the oat- 
meal; let it boil twenty minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burn- 
ing; it will then be ready to use. The seasoning, drippings, and 
oatmeal, will cost about five cents, and the fish ten more; with the 
addition of bread and potatoes, say five cents' worth of either, it makes 
an excellent meal, costing about twenty cents. 

Fish Chowder. — F r y together in the bottom of a saucepan four 



3« 

ounces of salt pork and two onions sliced ; when brown season with a 
teaspoonful of sweet herbs, and a very little salt and pepper; meantime 
peel and slice half a dozen medium-sized potatoes, and lay them in 
cold water; and cut in small slices two pounds of any fish which costs 
about five cents per pound; when the onions and pork are brown, put 
the potatoes and fish upon them in layers, seasoning with a level table- 
spoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of pepper; pour over all cold 
water enough to cover the ingredients, and let them cook twenty min- 
utes after they begin to boil ; soak half a pound of sea-biscuit in cold 
water, and when the chowder is nearly done lay them on it, and pour 
over them half a pint of milk; in five minutes the chowder will be 
ready to. use. The onions, pork, and seasoning will cost five cents; 
the potatoes, crackers and milk five more; and the fish ten cents; total 
for two quarts of good chowder twenty cents. 

Mutton Broth. — P ut * wo pounds of a jointed neck of mutton, (cost 
twelve cents,) in two and a half quarts of cold water, and let it boil 
slowly; skim it carefully, season it with a level tablespoonful of salt, 
half a teaspoonful of pepper, and the same of sweet herbs; then add 
one quart of yellow turnips, peeled and quartered, (cost three cents,) 
and four ounces of well washed pearl barley, (cost two cents,) and boil 
about an hour longer, or until the turnips and barley are tender. Take 
up the meat on a platter, lay the turnips around it, and pour the broth 
and barley into a soup tureen. The broth, meat and vegetables will 
cost seventeen cents, and will make a good dinner with the addition 
©f bread; or you can use the mutton and turnips for one meal, and 
keep the broth and barley for another. 

Veal Brotb.. — Make this as you would the mutton broth, using a 
knuckle of veal, (which costs ten cents,) instead of the neck of mutton, 
and a quarter of a pound of rice, (which costs two or three cents,) in- 
stead of barley ; omit the turnips. You will have a good, nutritious, 
broth for about thirteen cents. 

White Broth. — Cut two pounds of the neck of veal, (cost twelve 
cents,) in cutlets, and put it in a sauce pan with two ounces of salt 
pork, (cost two cents,) a level tablespoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful 
of pepper, one onion chopped, six whole cloves, and half a pint of 
water; (the seasoning will cost about one cent;) boil these ingredients 
for ten minutes, stirring often enough to prevent burning, then add two 
and a half quarts of hot water, and skim the broth thoroughly as soon 



37 

as it boils up; let it simmer for half an hour, when take up the meat, 
reserving it for stew, strain the broth, let it boil up again, and then put 
into it a quarter of a pound of macaroni, (cost four cents,) and boil it 
for halt an hour longer. While it is boiling put the meat with half a 
quart of peeled and quartered potatoes, (cost two cents,) a teaspoonful 
of salt, and a pint of boiling water into a sauce pan and let them cook as 
^long as the macaroni. Serve the stew by itself, and the broth and macaro- 
. ni in a soup tureen. With bread these two dishes make a good dinner, 
at a cost of about twenty-five cents. You can sometimes use rice or 
dumplings instead of macaroni. 

Cream SOUP. — Proceed as for white broth, using the meat for a 
stew, skimming all the fat off the broth, and then adding to it two 
tablespoonfuls of flour mixed smooth with half a pint of milk; when 
the milk and flour are mixed smooth pour into them a gill of the boil- 
ing broth, and then add them to the soup; see if the seasoning is right, 
and boil it ten minutes, stirring it to prevent burning; during this time 
toast a few slices of stale bread, cut them in dice, and put them in the 
soup tureen; when the soup is ready pour it over the toast, take up the 
stew^ on another dish, and serve both together. They make a good 
dinner for about twenty-five cents. 

Beef Broth. — Put two pounds of lean beef from the neck, (cost 
twelve cents,) in two and a half quarts of cold water to boil; skim as 
soon as it boils, and add a level tablespoonful of salt, half a teaspoon- 
ful of pepper, quarter of a nutmeg grated, a few sweet herbs, and half 
a dozen cloves; (cost of seasoning two cents;) boil gently for one hour. 
At the end of quarter of an hour make as follows some 

Norfolk Dumplings. — Mix by sifting together one pound of 
flour, one teaspoonful of salt, and two of baking-powder, (cost three 
cents;) make into a soft dough with one egg, half a pint of milk and a 
very little water, (cost four cents,) and drop them by the tablespoonful 
in the soup ; be careful that the pot does not stop boiling, or the dump- 
lings will be heavy. 

/ At the end of three quarters of an hour stir together over the fire 
in a large sauce-pan one ounce each of butter and flour, (cost two 
cents,) and when they are nicely browned, gradually add, and mix 
with an egg-whip or large fork, a pint of the boiling soup. Take up 
the meat and dumplings on the same dish, strain the soup into the 
sauce you have just made, and mix it thoroughly ; put a little of it over 



3« 

the meat and dumplings, and serve the rest in the soup tureen ; it is 
very nice with small dice of toast in it. 

Both dishes make an excellent dinner, at a cost of about twenty- 
five cents, including bread. 

Meat Brewis. — This palatable dish is made by putting the 
thick upper or under crust of a stale loaf of bread into the pot when 
any meat or soup is boiling, and letting it remain about five minutes to 
thoroughly absorb the broth; it should then be taken out as whole as 
possible, and eaten at once. It is satisfactory, nutritious and econom- 
ical ; enough for a hearty meal costing not more than five cents. 



CHAPTER VI. 
Peas, Beans, Lentils, and Maize. 

Before giving you receipts for cooking peas, beans, and lentils, I 
want to show you how important they are as foods. I have already 
spoken of the heat and flesh forming properties of food as the test of 
its usefulness; try to understand that a laboring man needs twelve 
ounces and a half of heat food, and half an ounce of flesh-food every 
day to keep him healthy. One pound, or one and a quarter pints of 
dried peas, beans, or lentils, contains nearly six ounces of heat food, 
and half an ounce of flesh food; that is, nearly as much heat -food, 
and more than twice as much flesh food as wheat. A little fat, salt 
meat, or suet, cooked with them, to bring up their amount of heat -food 
to the right point, makes either of them the best and most strengthen- 
ing food a workingman can have. The only objection to their frequent 
use is the fact that their skins are sometimes hard to digest; but if you 
make them into soup, or pudding, rubbing them through a sieve after 
they are partly cooked, you will be safe from any danger. 

Oatmeal and Peas.— Cut quarter of a pound of fat pork or bacon, 
(cost four cents,) into pieces half an inch square; put it in the bottom of 
a pot with two sliced onions, (cost one cent,) and fry ten minutes with- 
out burning; season with two teaspoonfuls of salt, one of sugar, and 
one saltspoonful of pepper; (cost of seasoning one cent;) then add 
three quarts of cold water, and one pint of peas, (cost five cents,) and 



39 

boil the -whole gently until the peas become quite soft; then stir in 
enough oatmeal to thicken, about a quarter of a pound, (cost two cents 
or less;) simmer for twenty minutes, and then eat hot. It is the 
healthiest kind of a meal, and costs thirteen cents, or less. 

Peas-Pudding.— Soak one pint of dried peas, (cost five cents,) in 
cold water over night; tie them loosely in a clean cloth, and boil them 
about two hours in pot-liquor or water, putting them into it cold and 
bringing them gradually to a boil; drain them, pass them through a 
sieve with a wooden spoon, season them with a level tablespoonful of 
salt, half a saltspoonful of pepper, one ounce of butter, and one egg, 
(all of which will cost five cents,) mix, tie in a clean cloth, and boil 
half an hour longer; then turn it from the cloth on a dish, and serve 
hot. This receipt makes a good large pudding for ten cents; or you 
can leave out the egg and it will cost less. 

Peas aild BaCOn. — Put one pound of bacon, (cost twelve cents,) to 
boil in two and a half quarts of cold water, with one pint of dried peas, 
(cost five cents;) when the peas are soft, drain them, press them 
through a sieve, lay them neatly on a flat dish, place the bacon on 
them, and set them in the oven to brown. Meantime strain any water 
which may remain after boiling them, and thicken it over the fire with 
Indian meal, in the proportion of four or five tablespoonfuls to each 
pint, so as to make it thick enough to cut and fry when cold; boil it 
about one hour, and then cool it. 

As soon as the peas and bacon are brown, serve them with boiled 
potatoes or bread, (about five cents' worth of either;) they make a good 
dinner, and with the hasty pudding, cost only about twenty-five cents. 

Baked Peas. — Proceed as directed for peas-pudding, only instead 
of putting the peas again in the cloth put them in a pudding-dish, and 
brown them in the oven. A large dish costs only ten cents. 

FeaS and Onions. — Proceed as directed for peas pudding, omitting 
the egg, and substituting for it an onion chopped and fried in an ounce 
of drippings; bake as in the previous receipt. The cost will be about 
ten cents, and the dish is exceedingly nutritious. 

Baked Beans. — Put one pint of dried beans, (cost six cents,) and 
quarter of a pound of salt pork, (cost four cents,) into two quarts of 
cold water; bring them to a boil, and boil them slowly for about 
twenty minutes; then put the beans, wii.li about a teacupful of the 
water they were boiled in, into an open jar, season them with salt and 



4o 

pepper to taste, and one tablespoonful of molasses, (cost of seasoning 
one cent,) lay the pork on the top, and bake two hours, or longer. 
The dish will cost about ten cents, and is palatable and nutritious. 
The liquor in which the beans were boiled should be saved, and used 
the next morning as broth, with seasoning and a little fried or toasted 
bread in it. 

Stewed Beans. — Soak a pint of dried beans, (cost six cents,) over 
night in cold water; put them to boil in a quart of cold water with one 
ounce of drippings, a level tablespoonful of salt, and quarter of a tea- 
spoonful of pepper, and boil them gently for two hours. Then drain 
them, put them into a sauce pan with one ounce of butter and a table- 
spoonful of chopped parsley, and after heating them through, serve 
them at once. The drippings, butter, and seasoning, will not cost 
more than four cents, and the whole dish can be made for ten. 

Fried Beans. — Proceed as above, omitting the parsley, and letting 
the butter get hot in a frying pan, before putting the beans in; fry 
them a little, stirring them so that they will brown equally, and then 
serve them. The dish will cost ten cents. 

Beans and BaCOn. — Soak a pint of dried beans, (cost six cents,) over 
night in cold water; put them over the fire in one quart of cold water, 
with quarter of a pound of bacon, (cost three cents,) and boil them 
gently for about two hours; then stir in two tablespoonfuls of flour 
mixed smooth with a little cold water, season to taste with pepper, salt, 
and if you like it a little chopped onion, and let them stew gently for 
about ten minutes; they will then be ready to serve. The dish will 
cost ten cents. 

Lentils ■ — Lentils have been used for food in older countries for a 
long time, and it is quite necessary that we should become acquainted 
with their merits if we want to save; I give a lentil soup, and some 
excellent directions for cooking this invaluable food. One quart of 
lentils when cooked will make four pounds of hearty food. There are 
two varieties in market; the small flat brown seed, called lentils a la 
reine; and a larger kind, about the size of peas, and of a greenish 
color; both sorts are equally well flavored and nutritious; they cost ten 
cents a pound, and can be bought at general groceries. The seed of 
the lentil tare, commonly cultivated in France and Germany as an arti- 
cle of food, ranks nearly as high as meat as a valuable food, being 
capable of sustaining life and vigor for a long time ; this vegetable is 



41 

gradually becoming known in this country, from the use of it by our 
French and German citizens; and from its nutritive value it deserves to 
rank as high as our favorite New England Beans. 

Lentils boiled plain. — Wash one pound, or one full pint of lentils, 
(cost ten cents,) well in cold water, put them over the fire, in three 
quarts of cold water with one one ounce of drippings, one tablespoonful 
of salt, and a saltspoonful of pepper, (cost about one cent,) and boil 
slowly until tender, that is about three hours; drain off the little water 
which remains, add to the lentils one ounce of butter, a tablespoonful 
of chopped parsley, a teaspoonful of sugar, and a little more salt and 
pepper if required, (cost about three cents,) and serve them hot. 
Always save the water in which they are boiled; with the addition of 
a little thickening and seasoning, it makes a very nourishing soup. 

Stewed Lentils. — Put a P mt °f plain boiled lentils into a sauce pan, 
cover them with any kind of pot-liquor, add one ounce of chopped 
onion, two ounces of drippings, quarter of an ounce of chopped pars- 
ley, and stew gently for twenty minutes; serve hot. This dish costs 
about ten cents. 

Fried Lentils. — Fry one ounce of chopped onion brown in two 
ounces of drippings, add one pint of plain boiled lentils, see if they are 
properly seasoned, and brown them well ; serve hot. This dish costs 
about ten cents, and is very good, and as nutritious as meat. 

Maize, Or Indian Com Heal, — This native product is a strong and 
nutritious food, and very economical; in addition to the ordinary hasty- 
pudding, or mush, it can be cooked with a little pot -liquor, meat, or 
cheese, so as to be both good and wholesome. Below are some excell- 
ent receipts for cooking it. . 

Polenta. — Boil one pound of yellow Indian meal, (cost four cents,) 
for half an hour, in two quarts of pot-liquor or boiling water, salted to 
taste, with one ounce of fat, stirring it occasionally to prevent burning; 
then bake it for half an hour in a greased baking dish, and serve 
it either hot, or, when cold, slice it and fry it in smoking hot fat. Thi3 
favorite Italian dish is closely allied to the hasty-pudding of New Eng- 
land, and the mush of the South. It costs five cents. 

Ghees© Pudding. — Into two quarts of boiling water, containing two 
tablespoonfuls of salt, stir one pound of yellow Indian meal, (cost four 
cents,) and a quarter of a pound of grated cheese, (cost four cents;) 
boil it for twenty minutes, stirring it occasionally to prevent burning; 



42 

then put it in a greased baking pan, sprinkle over the top quarter of 
a pound of grated cheese, (cost four cents,) and brown in a quick oven. 
Serye hot. If any remains, slice it cold and fry it brown. It costs 
twelve cents. 

Hasty-Pudding. — Have boiling upon the fire two quarts of water 
with a level tablespoonful of salt; sprinkle in gradually one pound of 
Indian meal, (cost four cents,) stirring constantly to prevent lumps; 
and boil steadily for one hour, stirring occasionally. The secret of 
making good hasty-pudding is to boil it long enough to thoroughly 
cook it. Some persons first mix the meal with cold water until it forms 
a thick batter, and then stir this into the boiling water. The pudding 
can be eaten with a little milk, butter, or molasses, if they are desirable 
additions; or with some meat gravy, or melted and seasoned suet. 
When cold it is good sliced and fried. 

Johnny Cake. — Mix one pound of Indian meal, (cost four cents,) one 
ounce of lard, (cost one cent,) and one teaspoonful of salt, with suffi- 
cient boiling water to make a stiff batter; put it by the tablespoonful 
into a greased baking pan, and bake it thoroughly. Five cents' worth 
makes a hearty meal, with a little butter or molasses. 

Indian Cakes. — These are prepared in the same way as Johnny 
Cake, except that the batter is made about as thin as buckwheat cakes, 
and baked upon a greased griddle over the fire instead of in the oven. 
The most economical way of greasing the griddle is to put a small 
piece of fat salt pork upon a fork and rub it over the surface of the 
griddle after it is well heated. 

Indian Bread. — Mix into one quart of boiling water enough Indian 
meal to make a thin batter, about a quarter of a pound, (cost one cent;) 
when it has cooled, stir into it one pound of wheat flour, (cost four 
cents,) a level tablespoonful of salt, and one gill of yeast; let it rise 
over night, and then bake it in loaves. 

Boiled Indian Pudding.— Dissolve a level teaspoonful of soda in 
one pint of sour milk, add to it one pint of molasses, (cost five cents,) 
quarter of a pound of chopped suet, (cost two cents,) half a pound of* 
Indian meal, (cost two cents,) and a level teaspoonful of salt; if you 
have no milk use boiling water instead of it; put the pudding into a 
scalded pudding bag, or a pudding ketttle, and this into a pot of boiling 
water; boil steadily for four hours, adding boiling water as the quantity 



43 

decreases. The pudding when cooked may be eaten with sauce or 
molasses, if desired; it will cost about ten cents. 

Baked Indian Pndding. — Stir into a quart of boiling milk, (cost 
eight cents,) quarter of a pound of Indian meal, (cost one cent,) one 
level teaspoonful of salt, the same of spice, and one ounce of butter, 
(cost two cents;) last of all add one pint of cold milk, (cost four cents,) 
or milk and water. Pour the pudding into an earthen dish, and bake 
slowly for three hours. It will cost about fifteen cents, and be very 
nice. 

There is as much difference in the quality of Indian meal as there is 
in its preparation; Southern meal is undoubtedly finer than Northern, 
and Southern cooks are pioverbial for their skill in using it. I am in- 
debted for some of the preceding receipts to a friend in Maryland, and 
I advise my readers to buy Southern meal, if they can get it, and test 
them thoroughly. Meal that is ground by hand or water power is 
superior to that ground by steam, because it is less heated in the 
process. 

Indian corn is an excellent food in temperate and warm climates; 
and from its abundant yield, and easy cultivation, it is one of the cheap- 
est of cereals. It contains the nitrates, or fiesh-forming properties, in 
an excessive degree. It is a palatable and nutritious diet whether 
eaten green, parched, or ground into meal. 



CHAPTER VII. 
Cheap Fish and Meat Dinners, 

I have already spoken of the value of fish as strengthening food, 
and in support of what I say I need only to remind you now vigorous 
and healthy the inhabitants of the sea coast usually are, especially if 
they eat red-blooded fish. This fact, in connection with the abundance 
and cheapness of fish makes it an important article in the dietary of 
the good housekeeper. 

Fish may be cooked by boiling, baking, broiling, and frying; boil- 
ing is the least economical method of cooking fish, and fish soup, or 



44 

fish chowder the most saving; broiled fish wastes but little of its nutri- 
ment, but its bulk is decreased; baked fish ranks next to fish soup in 
point of economy. 

Fish are preserved for winter use by cleaning them, rubbing them 
with salt, packing them in layers, and covering them with brine. An 
excellent way of pickling fish is to clean them, cut off the heads, tails, 
and fins, wash them, and then rub them well with salt and spice, pack 
them in layers in an earthen crock or deep dish, cover them with vine- 
gar, and tie the jar over with buttered paper; they are then ready to 
bake slowly for about four hours; and will keep for three or four weeks 
after they are cooked. 

In London, and other large English cities, where fried fish forms 
an important item of popular food, it is cooked with great care, and in 
such a manner as to retain all its nourishing qualities. It is well 
washed in salted water, dried on a clean cloth, cut in slices if large, 
dipped in a rather thin batter, made of flour, salt, pepper, and cold 
water, and then dropped into a pan containing plenty of fat heated 
until it is smoking hot, but does not boil ; the pan is then taken from 
the fire, and by the time the fat is growing cool the fish is cooked. A 
novice would do best by maintaining the fat at the proper degree of 
heat until the fish is cooked. 

The receipts which I give for fish are calculated to produce com- 
pound dishes from it, hearty enough to make the bulk of a meal. 

Fish and Potato Pie. — Use an y cheap fish which does not cost 
more than five or six cents a pound, such as cod, haddock, or blue- 
fish; cut two pounds of fish, (cost twelve cents,) in pieces about an inch 
thick and two inches long; lay them in a deep dish with a pint of cold 
gravy of any kind, or cold water, season with a tablespoonful each of 
chopped parsley and onion, and a teaspoonful of salt, pepper, and thyme, 
mixed together in equal quantities, and sprinkled among the fish; put 
it into the oven for fifteen or twenty minutes to partly cook. Put one 
quart of potatoes, (cost three cents,) into boiling water, and boil until 
soft enough to mash; mash them, season them with salt and pepper, 
and put them over the fish, which you must take from the oven, as 
a crust ; return the pie again to the oven to brown the crust, and then 
serve it with bread and butter. Twenty-five cents will cover the cost 
of all, and the dinner will be a good one. 

Fish Pudding. — Make a plain paste by mixing quarter of a 



45 

pound of lard or sweet drippings, (cost three cents.) with half a pound 
of flour, (cost two cents,) a teaspoonful of salt, and just water enough 
to make a stiff paste; roll it out; line the edges of a deep pudding 
dish with it halfway down; fill the dish with layers of fresh codfish 
cut in small pieces, using two pounds, (cost twelve cents,) season each 
layer with salt, pepper, chopped parsley, and chopped onions, using 
one tablespoonful of salt, one saltspoonful of pepper, two bay leaves, 
a saltspoonful of thyme, four ounces of onion, itnd half an ounce of 
parsley, (cost five cents;) fill up the dish with any cold gravy, milk, 
or water, cover with paste, and bake fifteen minutes in a quick oven; 
finish by baking half an hour in a moderate oven; serve hot. 

With bread the dinner will cost twenty-five cents. 

Fish and Potato Pudding. — Wash and peel one quart of potatoes, 
(cost three cents,) peel and slice about six ounces of onions, (cost one 
cent,) skin and bone two bloaters or large herrings, (cost five cents,) put 
all these ingredients into a baking dish in layers, seasoning them with 
a dessertspoonful of salt and a saltspoonful of pepper; pour over them 
any cold gravy you have on hand, or add two or three ounces of drip- 
pings; if you have neither of these, water will answer; bake the pud- 
ding an hour and a half; serve hot, with bread. If you use drippings 
or milk the entire seasoning will cost you less than five cents; and the 
whole dinner, which is excellent, not more than fifteen cents. 

Codfish, Steaks. — Two pounds of codfish, (which costs at the market 
from four to seven cents,) can be cut in steaks, dried well, and either 
dipped in flour, or thin batter of flour, salt, pepper, and water, and fried 
in smoking hot fat, or can be served with a quart of boiled potatoes, 
(cost three cents,) and plenty of bread and butter, at the rate of about 
twenty cents a meal. 

Bed Herrings With Potatoes. — Soak a dozen herrings, (cost ten 
cents,) in cold water for one hour; dry and skin them, split them down 
the back, and lay them in a pan with two ounces of drippings, two 
ounces of onion chopped fine, a saltspoonful of pepper, and three table- 
spoonfuls of vinegar, (cost two cents,) and set them in a moderate oven 
to brown for ten or fifteen minutes; meantime, boil one quart of pota- 
toes, (cost three cents,) with a ring of the paring taken off, in plenty 
of boiling water and salt, pouring off the water as soon as they are ten- 
der, and letting them stand on the back of the fire, covered with a dry 
towel, for five minutes; serve them with the herrings, taking care to 



46 

dish both quite hot. With bread and butter a plentiful dinner can be 
had for about twenty-two cents. 

Cheap Heats. — Those parts of meat which are called the cheap 
cuts, such as the head, brains, tongue, tripe, kidneys, haslet or pluck, 
feet, and tail, are eaten much more frequently in Europe than in this 
country, and are worthy of all the use they get there; for their propor- 
tion of flesh-forming elements is large; this is especially the case with 
the lights or lungs, but as they are rather difficult to digest, they should 
be thoroughly cooked, and never eaten alone. Tripe and pigs' feet, 
on the contrary, are very easily digested; but on this account are not as 
satisfactory food as that which remains longer in the stomach; although 
they are both savory and cheap. 

Be careful to keep all meat stews closely covered, or a great deal 
of the nutriment of the meat will escape in the steam. 

Sheeps' Head Stew- — Thoroughly clean a sheeps' head, weighing 
about three pounds, (cost about ten cents,) put it over the fire with 
quarter of a pound of rice, (cost three cents,) two cents' worth of 
onions sliced, a level tablespoonful of salt, quarter of a teaspoonful of 
pepper, and three pints of cold water; bring it slowly to a boil, skim- 
ming it carefully, and then add five cents' worth of carrots and turnips, 
peeled aud quartered; let all simmer gently together for two hours, 
being careful to remove all grease, and see if the seasoning is correct, 
before dishing the stew. With bread, or boiled potatoes, the meal will 
cost about twenty-five cents. 

Ostail Stew. — Put two jointed oxtails, (cost about ten cents,) over 
the fire in one quart of cold water, and scald them, to remove the 
strong flavor; then roll the joints in flour, season them with salt and 
pepper, and pack them in an earthen jar, with one onion chopped, and 
one quart of potatoes peeled and sliced; the vegetables and seasoning 
will cost about five cents; add one pint of water, put on the cover of 
the jar, and cement it in place with a paste of flour and water, which 
you must grease a little to prevent cracking; then put the jar into a 
moderately hot oven, and bake it about four hours. With the addition 
of bread and butter it makes a hearty meal, and costs about twenty-two 
cents. 

Beef Pie. — Cut in two inch pieces two pounds of the neck of beef, 
(cost twelve cents,) brown them quickly in one ounce of drippings, 
(cost one cent,) season them with pepper and salt, put them into a pud- 



47 

ding dish in layers with one cents' worth of chopped onion, and one 
quart of potatoes, (cost three cents,) peeled and sliced; add enough 
cold water to cover the beef and vegetables, and put over them a crust 
made of one pound of flour, (cost four cents,) and quarter of a 
pound of lard, (cost three cents,) put it for fifteen minutes into a hot 
oven, and then bake for an hour and a half in a moderate one. It will 
cost less than twenty -five cents, and be an abundant meal. 

Baked Heart. — Thoroughly wash a beef's heart, (cost ten cents,) 
stuff it with half a loaf of stale bread, (cost two cents,) moistened with 
warm water and seasoned with one teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a tea- 
spoonful each of pepper, chopped parsley and sweet herbs, an onicn 
chopped, and one ounce of sweet drippings (cost of all these two cents ;) 
lay it in a dripping pan with five cents' worth of parsnips scraped and 
washed, and bake in a moderate oven about two hours. It may be 
baked in an earthen jar, like the oxcail stew, and all its goodness -will 
be saved. 

Parsnips are exceedingly nutritious and cheap, but if they are not 
liked potatoes may be substituted for them. 

The entire dinner with bread and butter will cost about twenty-five 
cents. 

Stewed Kidneys and Potatoes. — Wash one quart of potatoes, (cost 

three cents,) pare off one ring from each, and put them to boil in well 
salted boiling water. Choose a very fresh beef's kidney, (cost fifteen 
cents,) cut it in thin slices, removing all the white vessels and mem- 
branes, fry it quickly for five minutes in one ounce of smoking hot drip- 
pings, (cost one cent,) season it with half a teaspoonful of salt, and 
quarter of a teaspoonful of pepper, a teaspoonful each of chopped pars- 
ley, onion, and vinegar; shake into it from the dredging box one table- 
spoonful cf flour, add one pint of boiling water, and boil gently for 
fifteen minutes. By this time the potatoes will be done, and both 
dishes must be served at once, because the kidneys will grow tough and 
indigestible if they are cooked more than twenty minutes in all. They 
will make a plentiful dinner, including bread and butter, for about 
twenty-five cents. 

Hg'S Kidneys may he cooked in the same manner, and enough can 
be bought for ten cents to make a good sized dish. 

Kidney Pudding.— Cut the kidneys, season, and stew them as above, 
making meantime a crust from one pound of flour, two teaspoonfullsof 



48 

salt, and one of baking powder, sifted together; mix into these ingre- 
dients four ounces of finely chopped suet, (cost two cents,) make them 
into a paste with about one pint of cold water; use part of this to line 
a deep pudding dish, into which put the stewed kidneys; cover the 
dish with the rest of the paste, and bake it about an hour and a quarter 
in a regular, moderately hot oven. The pudding will cost about thirty 
cents. 

Gammon Dumpling. — Make a plain paste of one pound of flour, 
(cost four cents,) one dessertspoonful of salt, and one of baking powder, 
quarter of a pound of finely chopped suet or scraps, (cost two cents,) 
and sufficient cold water to mix it to a stiff dough; roll this out about 
half an inch thick, spread over it half a pound of any cheap cut 
of bacon or ham, finely chopped, (cost six cents,) roll up the dumpling 
as you would a roly-poly pudding, tie it tightly in a clean cloth, and 
boil it in boiling water, or boiling pot-liquor, for about three hours. 
Do not let the pot stop boiling, or the dumpling will be heavy. Serve 
it hot, with one quart of plain boiled potatoes, (cost three cents.) The 
dinner will cost fifteen cents. 

BaCOn and Apple Roly-poly.— Boil a pound of bacon, (cost twelve 
cents,) for half an hour; then slice it thin; peel and slice three cents' 
worth of apples and the same quantity of onions; make a stiff dough 
of one pound of flour, (cost four cents,) a teaspoonful of salt, and cold 
water; roll it out half an inch thick; lay the bacon, apples, and onion 
all over it, roll it up, tie it tightly in a clean cloth, and boil it about 
two hours, in plenty of boiling water. Serve it with three cents' worth 
of boiled potatoes, or boiled cabbage. The dinner will cost twenty- 
five cents. 

Mutton and Onions. — Choose a shoulder of mutton weighing about 
three pounds, which you can buy at six cents a pound; wipe it thor- 
oughly with a damp cloth, put it into a pot half full of boiling water, 
with a tablespoonful of salt, and boil it gently for two hours, skimming 
the pot as often as any scum rises. Half an hour before it is done slice 
one quart of onions, (cost five cents,) boil them in a pint of boiling 
water for about twenty minutes, add one ounce of butter, (cost two 
cents,) half a pint of milk, (cost two cents,) four tablespoonfuls of flour, 
(cost one cent,) one teaspoonful of salt, and pepper to taste. When 
you have put the onions over the fire, pare rings off a quart of potatoes, 
(cost three cents,) and boil them in well salted boiling water. Have 



49 

all three dishes ready at once, and serve them together hot. Save the 
broth from the mutton, and the next morning boil it up once, and serve 
it for breakfast, with half a loaf of stale bread, toasted, and cut in dice; 
or boil in it for twenty minutes a quarter of a pound of rice or mac- 
aroni. 

The dinner will cost you about thirty cents, and you have on hand 
the broth for breakfast. 

Pork and Onions. — Three pounds of the neck, or spare ribs, of fresh 
pork, which you can buy at the packing houses for three cents a pound, 
can be made into a capital dinner, which will cost only about twenty 
cents, by following the above receipt. 

Veal and Rice. — Put the scrag end of a neck of veal, which you 
can usually buy for ten cents, into a pot half full of boiling water, with 
a half tablespoonful of salt, and half a pound of bacon, or salt pork, 
(cost six cents,) half a pound of rice, (cost five cents,) and an onion 
stuck with six cloves; boil it gently for three hours, and then serve it 
hot, the meat in the middle of the platter, and the rice laid around it. 
The broth may be served for breakfast, as in the receipt for Mutton 
and Onions. 

The dinner will cost about twenty cents. 

Irish SteW. — Cut two pounds of the flank of beef, (cost fifteen cents, 
or less,) in pieces about two inches square, rub them well with pepper 
and salt; peel and slice one quart of onions, (cost five cents;) place 
beef and onions in a saucepan, with just enough cold water to cover 
them, and stew them gently for one and a half hours; then add one 
quart of peeled potatoes, (cost three cents,) and boil the stew until the 
potatoes are soft, which will be in about twenty minutes. Serve at 
once hot. The dish will cost twenty-three cents. 

Sheep's Haslet. — Peel and slice one quart of onions, (eost five cents;) 
wash and slice a sheep's haslet, (cost six cents;) put two ounces of drip- 
pings, (cost two cents,) in the bottom of a dripping pan, strew the on- 
ions upon it, and lay the haslet on them, seasoning it with a teaspoon- 
ful of salt, and one of thyme, savory, allspice, and pepper, using equal 
parts of each; add enough water to reach half way to the top of the 
meat, then cover it thickly with the crumbs from half a loaf of stale 
bread, and bake all together for one hour and a half, in a moderate 
oven. The whole dish will aot cost over seventeen cents, and it is 
nutritious and savory. 



5© 

Baked Pig's Head. — Buy at a packing house half a medium sized 
pig's head, which you can get for three or four cents a pound, (the 
piece will cost about ten cents;) clean and wash it well; pare and slice 
one quart of onions, (cost five cents;) chop quarter of a pound of suet, 
(Cost two cents,) and grate half a loaf of stale bread, (cost three cents;) 
put into a dripping pan one ounce of drippings, (cost one cent,) one 
gill of vinegar, (cost one cent,) then the onions, next the head, skin up, 
and last the bread, suet, and seasoning, well mixed, and bake in a 
moderate oven for about one and a half hours. The dish will cost 
about twenty-two cents; it is hearty and extremely nutritious. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Sunday Dinners. 

Sunday is the workingman's festival. It is not only a day of rest 
from manual labor, a breathing space in his struggle for existence, an 
interval during which his devotional aspirations may have full exercise; 
it is the forerunner of a new phase of life, in which toil is laid aside for 
the gentler occupations of home, if he is a man of family, and for rest 
and relaxation in any case. 

The duty of making home pleasant, which a good wife feels, is 
doubly felt upon the days when the bread-winner abides in it. The 
husband of such a wife seldom passes his Sundays in strange places: 
he is content to accept the day according to its recognized signification, 
and when it has passed he is all the more ready to begin his daily work 
again. Because much of the comfort of home depends upon good and 
economical meals, and because Sunday dinners ought to be better than 
those of working days, we must make Monday dinners supplementary 
to them; the cost of Saturday night's marketing must be divided be- 
tween the two days, in order to keep within our financial margin. 
Good examples of this management may be found in the receipts given 
in this chapter for Roast Fowl and Fried Chicken, A la Mode 
Beef and Meat Patties, Boiled Mutton and Kromeskys, and 
Roast Veal and Veal and Ham Patties. These receipts show 
how by the exercise of a little judgment in buying, and economy in 



5i 

managing food, we can have our Sunday fowl, or joint of meat, with- 
out incurring any expense unwarranted by the figures to which thii 
little book confines us. 

Roast Fowl.— You can generally buy a fowl for about a shilling a 
pound; it need not be tender, but it ought to be fleshy in order to fur- 
nish the basis for two meals. Choose a fowl which will cost fifty cents 
or less; pluck all the pin feathers, singe off the hairs with a piece of 
burning paper, or a little alcohol poured on a plate and lighted with a 
match; then wipe the fowl with a clean damp cloth, draw it carefully 
by slitting the skin at the back of the neck, and taking out the crop 
without tearing the skin of the breast; loosen the heart, liver, and 
hmgs by introducing the fore-finger at the neck, and then draw them^ 
with the entrails, from the vent. Unless you have broken the gall, or 
the entrails, in drawing the bird, do not wash it, for this greatly impairs 
the flavor, and partly destroys the nourishing qualities of the flesh. 
Twist the tips of the wings back under the shoulders; bend the legs as 
far up toward the breast as possible, secure the thigh bones in that po- 
sition by a trussing cord or skewer; then bring the legs down, and fas- 
ten them close to the vent. Put the bird into a pot containing three 
quarts of boiling water, with one tablespoonful of salt, an onion stuck 
with half a dozen cloves, and a bouquet of sweet herbs, made as direct- 
ed on page 19; skim it as soon as it boils, and as often as any scum 
rises. If you wish to stuff the fowl use a forcemeat made as follows, 
(cost ten cents,) and carefully sew it up in the carcass. 

Forcemeat Or Stuffing. — Cut two ounces of salt pork, (cost two 
cents,) in quarter inch dice, and fry it brown in half an ounce of drip- 
pings, with one ounce of chopped onion ; while these ingredients are 
frying, soak five cents' worth of stale bread in tepid water, and then 
wring it dry in a napkin; add it to the onion when it is brown, with 
one tablespoonful of chopped parsley, half a saltspoonful of powdered 
thyme, and the same quantity of dried and powdered celery, and white 
pepper, and one teaspoon ful of salt; mix all these over the fire until 
they are scalding hot, and cleave from the pan; then stir in one raw 
egg, and stuff the fowl with it. It is good stuffing for any kind of 
poultry or meat. A few ounces of grated cheese make it superlatively 
good. 

Meantime, while the fowl is boiling, peel one quart of potatoes, 
(cost three cents,) and lay them in cold water. At the end of one 



5* 

hour take the fowl from the pot, taking care to strain and save the pot 
liquor, put it into a dripping pan with the potatoes, season them both 
with a teaspoonful of salt, and quarter of a teaspoonful of pepper, and 
put them in a rather quick oven to bake for about one hour. When 
both are well done, and nicely browned, take them up on hot dishes, 
and keep them hot while you make the following gravy: 

Chicken Gravy. — Pour one pint of boiling water into the dripping ' 
pan in which the fowl was baked; while it is boiling up mix one heap- 
ing tablespoonful, or one ounce, of flour with half a cup of cold water, 
and stir it smoothly into the gravy; season it to taste with pepper and 
salt, and send it in a bowl to the table with the chicken and potatoes. 

In carving the chicken cut off the drumsticks, wings, and neck care- 
fully, and lay them aside; use the second joints, breast and fleshy parts, 
for dinner; and after dinner cut up what remains of the carcass iff neat 
pieces, which you must save with the pieces first cut off, to use for Fried 
Chicken. C 

Half the cost of the Roast Chicken, stuffed, and the Baked Potatoes, 
will be thirty -eight cents. 

Fried Chicken. — Dip the pieces of chicken saved from the Sunday 
dinner into a batter made according to the following receipt, and fry it 
a delicate brown color in quarter of a pound of olive oil or sweet drip- 
pings, or lard, (cost three cents,) heated until it is smoking hot. Before 
you begin to fry the chicken, wash one quart of potatoes, (cost three 
cents,) pare off a ring from each, and put them to boil in plenty of well 
salted boiling water. When the chicken is done take it up with a 
strainer, and lay it for a few minutes on brown paper to free it from 
fat; then serve it hot, with the boiled potatoes. 

Frying Batter. — This batter will do nicely for chicken, fish, clams, 
cold boiled parsnips, or fruit of any kind, of which you wish to make 
fritters. The oil is added to it for the purpose of making it crisp. 
Many persons object to the use of oil in cooking, from a most foolish 
prejudice. It is a pure vegetable fat, wholesome and nutritious in the 
highest degree; and the sooner our American housewives learn to use 
it in cooking the better it will be for both health and purse. I do not 
mean the expensive oil, sold at fine grocery stores for a dollar a bottle, 
but a good sweet kind which can be bought at French Epicerie or 
German Delicatessen depots for about two dollars and fifty cents a gal- 
lon. Make the batter by mixing together four heaping tablespoonfuls of 



53 

flour, (cost one cent,) a level teaspoonful of salt, the yolk of one egg, 
(cost one or two cents,) two tablespoonfuls of oil, (cost one cent,) and 
one gill of water, or a quantity sufficient to make a thick batter, just 
as you are ready to use it, beat the white of the egg, and stir it into 
the batter; the cost will be three or four cents, and the use of it will 
double the size and nicety of your dish. 

Chicken Broth. — Heat the broth in which the fowl for Sunday din- 
ner was boiled, and when it is at the boiling point throw in quarter of 
a pound of rice, or fine macaroni, which will cost three or four cents, 
and boil it about twenty minutes, or until tender; see if the seasoning 
is right, and serve it hot. 

New York Cooking School Fricassee.— Prepare a fowl weighing 

about three pounds, (cost three shillings,) as directed in the receipt for 
Boast Fowl ; cut it in neat joints, fry it quickly in one ounce of sweet 
drippings, (cost one cent,) till brown; cover it with boiling water, add 
one teaspoonful of salt, and quarter of a level teaspoonful of pepper, 
and stew it gently until tender, keeping it covered closely; when it is 
about half done, add to it some dumplings made as follows: 

Suet DmnplingS. — Make into a stiff paste, with about two gills of 
cold water, half a pound of flour, (cost two cents,) quarter of a pound 
of chopped suet, (cost two cents,) a teaspoonful of salt, and the same 
quantity of baking powder sifted with the flour; drop the paste into 
the fricassee from a teaspoon dipped in cold water, and let them boil 
with it; these dumplings cost less than five cents, and are nice with 
any stew, soup, or fricassee. 

Rabbit Cuny, — Choose a tender rabbit or hare, which will cost at 
the market about twenty cents, and which if young will be plump, and 
have a short neck, thick knees, and fore paws whose joints break easily; 
hang it by the hind legs, and skin it, beginning at the tail, and 
ending at the head, wipe it carefully with a damp cloth to remove the 
hairs; take out the entrails, saving the brains, heart and liver, rinse out 
the carcass with a cup of vinegar, (cost two cents, ) which you must 
save, and cut it in joints; lay the rabbit in a deep frying pan, with two 
ounces of drippings, (cost two cents,) one cent's worth of onion sliced, 
a teaspoonful of salt, ten whole cloves, and quarter of a level teaspoon- 
ful of pepper; fry it gently for twenty minutes^ then add one cent's 
worth of parsley, the vinegar, half a level tablespoonful of curry, and 
one tablespoonful of flour mixed with half a teacupful of water, and 



54 

simmer all gently for fifteen minutes, keeping the pan closely covered. 
When the rabbit is first put upon the fire, put quarter of a pound of 
rice, (cost four cents,) into two quarts of boiling water with one table- 
spoonful of salt, and boil it until the ends of the grains begin to crack 
open; turn it from the pot into a colander, drain it, shake it back into 
the pot, and cover it to keep it hot until the rabbit is done; then send 
it to the table with the rabbit, but on a dish by itself. The Rabbit 
Curry and Rige will cost about twenty-eight cents. 

Rabbit Pie. — Prepare a rabbit, or hare, (cost twenty cents,) as for 
the Curry, and after you have jointed it, roll each piece in flour, salt 
and pepper mixed; slice two cent's worth of onions, peel and slice 
three cents' worth of potatoes, and put these into a. pudding dish in 
layers with the rabbit, season with a teaspoonful of salt,- and quarter 
of a level teaspoonful of pepper, add half a pint of cold water, .coyer 
the pie with a plain paste, made as for Suet Dumplings (cost five 
cents,) and bake for one hour and a quarter. These quantities will 
cost about thirty cents, and make a large pie. 

Pickled Shad. — In- season fine large shad can be bought for twenty, 
five cents, and each one will be enough for two hearty meals. Thor- 
oughly clean a fresh shad ; cut it in pieces about three inches square, lay 
it in a deep baking dish, or earthen crock, seasoning it well with two 
tablcspoonfuls of salt, one level teaspoonful of pepper, one dozen whole 
cloves, two bay-leaves broken, and a bit of lemon or orange peel, if 
you have it; pour over it enough vinegar to cover it, tie an oiled or 
buttered paper over the top of the dish or crock, and bake the shad five, 
hours in a moderate oven. The action of the pickle will be to entirely 
soften the bones of the fish, so that every part of it will be eatable. One 
half of it will cost about fifteen cents; and with the addition of five cents' 
worth of bread or potatoes, will make a hearty dinner for twenty cents. 

Pork Pie. — Cut in two inch pieces two pounds of pork trimmings, 
(cost ten cents,) roll them in flour, season them with two teaspoonfuls- 
of salt, quarter of a level teaspoonful of pepper, and one teaspoonful 
of curry, put them in a deep baking pan or dish with two cents' worth 
of onions, and three cents' worth of potatoes, peeled and sliced, add 
half a pint of cold water, and bake the pie slowly for one hour and a 
quarter.. It will cost about fifteen cents made as above; or a suet crust> 
made as directed for Suet Dumplings, may be added for five cents 
more. If the taste ofcurry is not liked it may be omitted. . ':..-» 



55 

Pork Chops.— Buy at a packing house two pounds of shoulder 
chops, (cost sixteen to twenty cents,) roll them in flour, pepper, and 
salt, put them into a hot frying pan, and fry them brown, cooking them 
at least twenty minutes. Meantime boil one quart of potatoes, (cost 
three cents,) in boiling water and salt, and chop fine one pickle, (cost 
one cent.) When the chops are done, take them up, and keep them 
hot, while you make the gravy by pouring into the frying-pan half a 
pint of boiling water, and adding to it the chopped pickle, a table- 
spoonful of flour mixed smooth with half a cup of cold water, and salt 
and pepper to taste. Boil it up once, pour it over the chops, and serve 
them hot with the potatoes. 
.- The dinner will cost about twenty -^ve cents. 

Roast Pork and Apples.— Season two pounds of shoulder chops, 
(cost twenty cents, or less,) with salt and pepper, and powdered sage, 
and put them in a deep baking dish with one quart of potatoes, (cost 
three cents,) two cents' worth of onions, and two cents' worth of ap- 
ples, peeled and sliced ; add half a pint of cold water, and bake two 
hours in a moderate oven. 

The dish will cost twenty-seven cents, or less. 

Stewed Sausage.— Prick a pound and a half of sausages, (cost 
eighteen cents,) lay them in hot water for three minutes, roll them in 
flour, put them in a hot frying pan, and fry them brown; take them 
up and fry about half a loaf of stale bread sliced, in the same pan; 
put this on a platter, lay the sausages on it, and pour over them a 
gravy made as follows; after taking up the sausages, pour into the 
pan half a pint of boiling water, season it to taste with salt and pepper, 
thicken it with one tablespoonful of flour mixed smooth in half a cup- 
ful of cold water, add to it one chopped pickle, boil it up, aud pour 
it over the sausages and bread. The seasoning and flour will cost 
two cents, the bread three, and the whole dish about twenty-three 
cents. If you serve it with a quart of plain boiled potatoes it will cost 
twenty-five or twenty-six cents. 

German Potatoes. — Carefully wash one quart of potatoes, removing 
any defective part, cut a slice from the top of the potatoes, take ouc a 
little of the inside, chop it fine, mix it with half a pound of highly 
seasoned sausage or mincemeat, (cost six cents,) fill it into the pota- 
toes, put on the piece you first cut off, and bake them for about three 
quarters of an hour in a quick oven. Serve them as soon as. they ajje 



soft. Ten cents will cover the entire cost, and they will make a very 
hearty and nutritious meal, especially if the meat used is pork. 

Brain and Liver Pudding. — You can generally buy a pig's brain 
and haslet at the slaughter house for about ten cents ; wash them thor- 
oughly; slice the heart, liver, and lights, and fry them light brown in 
a cents' worth of drippings. Put the brain over the fire in cold water 
with a tablespoonful each of salt and vinegar, let it boil for fifteen 
minutes, and then lay it in cold water to get hard. Make a suet crust, 
as directed for Suet Dumplings, (cost five cents,) roll out a cover for 
the pudding, line the edges of the dish two inches down with it, and 
put any bits you may have remaining, into the dish in layers with the 
haslet and brain sliced ; season#the pudding with one level tablespoon- 
ful of salt, one onion chopped, and half a level teaspoonful of pepper; 
cover it with the suet crust, and bake it for about an hour in a moder- 
ate oven. Serve it hot. The pudding will make a very hearty dinner, 
at a cost of about fifteen cents. 

Broiled KidneTS. — Mix together in'a deep plate the following ingre- 
dients, which will cost about three cents; one ounce of butter, half a 
level teaspoonful of pepper, one teaspoonful each of mustard, and any 
table sauce or vinegar, and as much cayenne as you can take up on the 
point of a small pen-knife blade; toast half a loaf of stale bread, (cost 
three cents,) cut in slices one inch thick; wash, split, and broil one 
pound of pig's or sheep's kidneys, (cost ten cents or less;) while the 
kidneys are broiling dip the toast in the first named seasonings, lay it 
on a hot dish, and lay the kidneys on it as soon as they are broiled ; 
season them with salt and pepper, and serve them hot with one quart 
of plain boiled potatoes, (cost three cents.) The cost of the entire din- 
ner will be less than twenty cents. 

Tripe, Cnrrj and Bice.— Thoroughly wash two pounds of tripe, 
(cost sixteen cents,) boil it until tender, about one hour, in plenty of 
water and salt; then lay it on a clean, dry cloth to drain; put half a 
pound of rice, (cost five cents.) into the same water, and boil it fast for 
twenty minutes; cut the tripe in pieces two inches square; slice two 
cents' worth of onions, frying them in two ounces of drippings, (cost 
two cents,) season with one teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a level tea- 
spoonful of pepper, and one tablespoonful of vinegar, add to the tripe, 
and cook all together for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally to pre- 
vent burning. Just as you are ready to serve it, stir in one teaspoon- 



57 

ful of curry, which, with the other seasonings, will cost two cents. 
Drain the rice in a colander, shake it into a dish, and send it to the 
table with the tripe. The dinner will cost twenty-seven cents, and be 
very satisfactory. 

Liver Polenta. — Boil one pound of yellow Indian Meal, (cost four 
cents,) for half an hour, in two quarts of boiling water with one ounce 
of drippings, (cost one cent,) stirring it occasionally to prevent burning; 
meantime fry in one ounce of drippings, (cost one cent,) a sheep's or 
pig's haslet, (cost five cents,) well washed and sliced; when the meal 
has boiled half an hour, put it into a greased baking dish with the has- 
let, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper; bake it for twenty 
minutes in a quick oven, and serve it hot. 

The dish, which is palatable and nutritious, costs less than twelve 
cents. 

A la Mode Beef. — This is one of the compound dishes which are 
mentioned in the beginning of this chapter, and will serve as a basis 
for at least two good dinners. Unless there is an unusual rise in the 
price of meat, you can buy the round of beef for a shilling a pound at 
the market or provision house; in the middle of the week choose four 
pounds in a solid, thick piece; cut half a pound of fat pork, (cost six 
cents,) into strips half an inch square; thrust the steel you use for sharp- 
ening knives into the meat, in the direction of the grain, and put the 
strips of pork into the holes you make; cut up five cents' worth of car- 
rot, turnips, onion, and parsley, lay them in the bottom of an earthen 
crock or deep bowl, with two tablespoonfuls of salt, and one teaspoon- 
ful of pepper; put the beef on them, and pour over it one pint of vine- 
gar, and enough water to just cover the meat; the vinegar and season- 
ing will cost five cents. 

Turn a plate over the meat, and put a clean stone on it to keep the 
meat under the pickle ; turn the meat every day, keeping it in a cool 
place. 

Sunday morning, as soon as breakfast is over, put the meat, pickle, 
and vegetables, over the fire in a clean pot, and let them stew, uncov- 
ered, until the pickle is all evaporated and the meat is nicely browned ; 
then sprinkle over it two tablespoonfuls of flour, and let that brown, 
turning the meat over occasionally; then add enough boiling water to 
cover the meat, put on the pot cover, and set it where it will simmer 
gently for at least three hours. During the last half hour boil one 



58 

quart of potatoes, (cost three cents,) in plenty of boiling water and salt. 
When the meat is done take it upon a platter, strain the gravy over it, 
and serve it hot with the boiled potatoes. About half of it will be 
enough for dinner, and will cost, with the potatoes, thirty-five cents. 

Meat Patties. — Chop the remainder of the A la mode Beef; make a 
suet crust, (cost five cents,) as directed for Suet Dumplings, roll it 
out quarter of an inch thick, cut it out with a round tin cutter, lay a table- 
spoonful of the mince -meat on each round, wet the edges of the crust, 
and fold it over in the shape of an old-fashioned turn-over; pinch the 
edges together, put the patties on a floured baking-pan, and bake them 
about half an hour in a moderate oven. When you put them in the 
oven, put one quart of potatoes, (cost three- cents,) to boil in boiling 
water and salt. When both potatoes and patties are done serve them 
together; the dinner will cost about thirty cents. 

Boiled Mutton. — The shoulder of mutton can be bought at the mar- 
ket for about six cents a pound. Choose one weighing not over four 
pounds, (cost twenty-four cents,) wipe it with a clean, damp cloth, put 
it into three quarts of_ boiling water with a tablespoonful of salt, one 
cents' worth of soup greens, a level teaspoonful of pepper, and boil it 
gently fifteen minutes for each pound, skimming it as often as any scum 
rises. About one hour before it is done pare one quart of turnips, 
cut them in quarters, and boil them with the mutton. Wash one quart 
of potatoes, pare off a ring from eacn, and boil them in boiling water. 
Serve them with the mutton and turnips, saving the broth from the 
mutton for Bread Broth for breakfast. The potatoes and turnips 
will cost five cents, and the proportionate cost of the mutton will be 
twelve cents; so the dinner will cost seventeen cents. The remains of 
the mutton must be saved for Mutton rechanffee y as the basis of the 
next day's dinner. 

MuttOIl rechauff/e. — Prepare and boil one quart of potatoes, (cost 
three cents;) slice the best part of the mutton remaining from the day 
before, saving all the scraps and trimmings, dip each slice in a beaten 
egg, or a little milk, (cost one cent,) roll it in bread crumbs, dried and 
sifted, as directed on page 25 , and fry them in sweet drippings. Serve 
the meat and potatoes together; they will cost about fifteen cents. 

Mutton Kromeskys. — Cut cold mutton in half inch dice; chop one 
ounce of onion, and fry it pale yellow in one ounce of sweet drippings, 
(cost one cent;) add one ounce of flour, and stir until smooth; add half 



59 

a pint of water, two tablespoonful s of chopped parsley, one level tea* 
spoonful of salt, one level saltspoonful of white pepper, half a saltspoon- 
ful of powdered herbs, as much cayenne as can be taken up on the 
point of a very small penknife blade, and the chopped meat; the sea r 
sonings will cost about one cent; stir until scalding hot, add the yolk 
of one raw egg, (cost one cent,) cook for two minutes, stirring fre- 
quently; and turn out to cool on a flat dish, slightly oiled, or buttered, 
to prevent sticking, spreading the minced meat about an inch thick; 
set away to cool while the batter is being made. 

Plalll Prying Batter. — Mix quarter of a pound of flour, (cost one 
cent,) with the yolks of two raw eggs, (cost two cents,) a level salt- 
spoonful of salt, half a saltspoonful of pepper, quarter of a saltspoon- 
ful of grated nutmeg, one tablespoonful of salad oil, (which is used to 
make the batter crisp,) and one cup of water, more or less, as the flour 
will take it up; the batter should be stiff enough to hold the drops 
from the spoon in shape when they are let fall upon it; now beat the 
whites of the two eggs to a stiff broth, beginning slowly, and increas- 
ing the speed until you are beating as fast as you can ; the froth will 
surely come; then stir it lightly into the batter; heat the dish contain- 
ing the meat a moment, to loosen it, and turn it out on the table, just 
dusted with powdered crackers; cut it in strips an inch wide and two 
inches long, roll them lightly under the palm of the hand, in the shape 
of corks, dip them in the batter, and fry them golden brown in smok- 
ing hot fat. Serve them on a neatly folded napkin. They make a 
delicious dish, really worth all the care taken in preparing them. The 
seasoning, crackers, and what fat is used, in frying, will not cost over 
four cents, for you must strain the fat, and save it after you fry your 
Kromeskys ; if you use either bread or potatoes wtih them, the dinner 
will not cost over twenty cents. 

Epigramine Of Lamb. — This is one of my favorite dishes, which I 
learned to make the "first winter I" had a Cooking School, and I believe 
that nearly every one who tries it will share my opinion of it. Choose 
as tender a two-pound breast of mutton as you can buy for about six 
cents a pound, boil it in two quarts of water about three quarters of an 
hour, or until" you can easily pull out the bones, taking care to put it 
into boiling water, with a tablespoonful of salt, andskim it as often as 
any -scum rises ; when it is done, strain and save the pot-liquor for 
Bread or Rice Broth, pull out the bones from the breast of mutton- 



6o 

lay it between two platters, and put a flat iron on it until it is cold. 
Then cut it in triangular pieces, taking care not to waste a scrap, roll 
the pieces in a beaten egg, (cost one cent,) and dried bread crumbs 
prepared as directed on page 25, and fry them as you would the 
Kromeskys in the previous receipt. 

Use the pot-liquor in which it was boiled, with quarter of a pound 
of rice, for the next morning's breakfast. The cost of both dishes will 
not exceed twenty cents. 

Eoast Veal. — The shoulder of veal can usually be bought at the mar- 
ket for eight cents a pound. Choose a fresh one weighing about seven 
pounds, and costing about sixty cents; from this we shall make three 
dishes, namely: Roast Veal, Blanquette of Veal, and Veal and 
Ham Patties. Therefore the proportionate cost for the Roast Veal 
will be twenty cents. Have the butcher chop off the fore leg quite 
close up to the shoulder, and cut it in neat slices about one inch thick; 
these you must sprinkle with salt and pepper, and keep in a cool place, 
together with the blade bone, until the next day, for the Blanquette. 
Have the shoulder boned, saving the blade; stuff it with the following 
forcemeat. 1 

Forcemeat for Veal Or POUltiy. — Steep four ounces of dry bread, 
(cost two cents,) in warm water, and wring it dry in a clean towel; 
chop one cent's worth of onion and fry it light yellow in one cent's 
worth of drippings, add the bread to it, season it with one level tea- 
spoonful of salt, quarter of a level teaspoonful each of pepper and pow- 
dered thyme, or mixed spice, and stir these ingredients over the fire 
until they are scalding hot; then stir in one egg, and use the stuffing; 
the cost will be about five cents. 

After stuffing the shoulder, lay it in a dripping pan with one cent's 
worth of soup greens, and put it in a hot oven to brown it quickly; 
when it is brown take it out of the oven, season with salt and pepper, 
baste it with a little sweet drippings, return it to the oven, and bake it 
thoroughly fifteen minutes to each pound. Meantime wash one quart 
of potatoes, (cost three cents,) pare a ring off each one, and boil them 
in plenty of boiling water and salt. When the veal is done take it up 
on u hot dish, pour half a pint of boiling water in the dripping pan, 
scrape it well, and strain the contents; set this gravy again over the 
fire to boil while you mix a tablespoonful of flour in half a cup of cold 



6i 

water; stir this smoothly into the gravy, boil it for five minutes, and 
serve it with the roast veal and boiled potatoes. 

Be careful to save all that remains from the dinner, towards making 
the Veal and Ham Patties; the proportionate cost will be about 
thirty cents. 

Blanquette of Veal— put the P ieces of veal saved for this 

into enough cold water to cover them, together with a tablespoonful of 
salt and one cent's worth of soup greens, the onion being stuck with 
ten cloves; skim occasionally whenever any scum rises, and simmer 
until the meat is tender, which will be in half or three quarters of an 
hour; then take up the meat in a colander, and run some cold water 
over it from the faucet; strain the pot-liquor, and let it boil again; mix 
together over the fire one tablespoonful of butter, (cost two cents,) and 
two of flour; when they are smooth add one quart of the boiling broth 
to them, season with a teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a level teaspoonful 
of white pepper, and quarter of a nutmeg grated; mix the yolks of two 
eggs, (cost two cents,) with about a cupful of the broth, and stir them 
into the rest; then put in the veal, and heat and serve it, with a quart 
of boiled potatoes, (cost three cents.) The dinner will cost about 
thirty cents. 

Veal and Ham Patties— Chop the remains of the Roast Veal 

(cost twenty cents,) with quarter of a pound of lean ham, (cost four 
cents,) weigh both, and mix with them an equal weight of dried bread, 
soaked in warm water, and wrung dry in a clean towel; season with 
salt, pepper, and powdered herbs, or Spice Salt to taste, moisten 
with any cold gravy you have saved from the Roast Veal, and fill it 
into little turnovers, or patty.pans lined with c suet crust, made as di- 
rected on page 53, for Suet Dumplings, (cost five cents.) 
r The dinner will cost about thirty cents. 



62 



CHAPTER IX. 
Cheap Puddings, Pies, and Cakes. 

Good puddings are nutritious and wholesome, and an excellent va- 
riety can be made at a comparatively small expense. Pies, as they are 
usually made, with greasy and indigestible pastry, are positively un- 
healthy; if they are made xvith a plain bottom crust, and abundantly 
filled with ripe fresh or dried fruit, they are not so objectionable. Rich 
cake is always an extravagance, but some of the plainer kinds are pleas- 
ant additions to lunch and supper; we subjoin a few good receipts. 

SWISS Pudding. — Sift together half a pound of flour, (cost two 
cents,) one heaping teaspoonful of baking powder, and one of salt; nib 
together four ounces of granulated sugar, (cost three cents,) and two 
ounces of butter, (cost four cents,) and when they are well mixed, so as 
to be granular but not creamy, add the flour gradually until all is used; 
make a hollow in the middle of the flour, put into it one egg, "half a 
teaspoonful of lemon flavoring, and half a pint of milk, (cost of these 
ingredients four cents;) mix to a smooth paste, put into a well buttered 
and floured mould, and set this into a large pot with boiling water 
enough to come two-thirds up the side of the mould; steam the pud- 
ding three quarters of an hour, or until you can run a broom splint into 
it without finding the pudding stick to the splint. Turn the pudding 
out of the mould, and send it to the table with the following sauce: 

Cream Sauce. — Stir together over the?" fire one ounce each of flour 
and butter, (cost two cents;) as soon as they are smooth pour into them 
half a pint of boiling milk, (cost two cents,) add two ounces of sugar 
and half a teaspoonful of lemon flavoring, (cost two cents,) and use 
with the pudding as soon as it boils up. The sauce and pudding will 
cost about twenty cents. 

College Puddings. — Mix well together eight ounces of dried and sift- 
ed bread crumbs, (cost three cents,) two ounces of very finely chopped 
suet, (cost two cents,) two ounces of currant.;, two eggs, and two ounces 
of sugar, (cost together five cents,) a teaspoonful of salt, three grates 



63 

of nutmeg, and sufficient milk to moisten, about one cents' worth; 
make the puddings up in little round balls, roll them first in sifted 
bread crumbs; next dip them in beaten egg, and then roll them again in 
bread crumbs; fry them in plenty of hot fat, and serve them with sugar 
dusted over them. Five cents will cover the cost of frying them; and 
a nice dishful will cost you about eighteen cents. 

Cream Rice Pudding. — Wash four ounces of rice, (cost three 
cents,) through two waters, put it into a baking dish with three ounces 
of sugar, and a teaspoonful of flavoring, (cost three cents,) pour in one 
quart and a pint of milk, (cost twelve cents,) and put it into a moder- 
ate oven to bake an hour and a half, or until it is of a creamy consist- 
ency. This pudding is very delicate and wholesome, and costs fifteen 
cents. ' 

Half-paY Pudding. — Carefully wash find dry a quarter of a 
quarter of a pound of Zante currants, (cost three cents, ) stone the same 
quantity of raisins, (cost three' cents,) and chop an equal amount of 
suet, (cost two cents;) mix them with eight ounces of stale bread, (cost 
three cents,) three tablespoonfuls of molasses, hall a pint of milk, and 
a teaspoonful each of spice, salt, and baking powder, (cost four cents.) 
Put these ingredients into a mould which has been well buttered and 
floured, and steam them about three hours. If by any mischance the 
top of the pudding is watery, you can remedy it by putting it into a hot 
oven for ten or fifteen minutes to brown. When you are ready to use 
it, turn it from the'mould and send it to the table with some Cream 
Sauce. This is an excellent plum pudding, and costs only about 
twenty cents, including sauce. 

Bread Pudding. — Slice a five cent loaf of bread, spread it lightly 
with two cents' worth of butter, and lay it in a baking dish; break one 
egg, (cost one cent,) into a b#vl, add to it two ounces each of flour and 
sugar, (cost two cents,) a teaspoonful of salt, and a pint of milk, (cost 
four cents;) mix, flavor to taste, pour over the bread, and bake the pud- 
ding about half an hour in a quick oven. It will be very nice, and cost 
about fifteen cents. 

Cup Custards. — Boil a pint of milk, (cost four cents,) with two 
ounces of sugar and half the yellow rind of a lemon, (cost three cents;) 
meantime beat four eggs, (cost four cents,) and strain the milk into 
them; mix thoroughly, strain again, and pour into cups; set these in a 
baking pan containing hot water enough to reach halfway up the sides. 



64 

of the cups, and cither set the pan over the fire until the custards arc 
firm, or bake them in the oven; they will set in twelve or fifteen min- 
utes. The cost will be about twelve cents. 

Fruit Dumpling, — Make a nice suet crust, as directed for Suet 
Dumplings on page 53, roll it out about quarter of an inch thick, 
spread it with ten cents' worth of ripe fruit, quarter of a pound 
of sugar, (cost three cents,) and a teaspoonful of mixed spice; roll it 
up, tie it in a cloth wet with scalding water, and well floured next the 
dumpling, and boil it in a large kettle half full of boiling water for two 
hours, taking care that the pot does not stop boiling, or remain un- 
covered, or the dumpling will be heavy. 

When it is done take it from the pot, unroll it from the cloth, and 
serve it with a few cents' worth of molasses; it will cost about twenty 
cents. 

Apple Etlinpliligsl-^Pa-re and core five cents' worth of apples, 
keeping them whole ; make a suet crust as directed for Suet Dump- 
lings on page 53, roll it out, and cut it in as many squares as you 
have apples; sprinkle a little spice on the apples, fold the corners of the 
pieces of paste up over them, pinch them together, tie each one in a 
floured cloth, and boil for one hour as directed in the previous receipt; 
then take them from the pudding cloths, and serve them with five 
cents' worth of butter and sugar; they can be made for about fifteen 
cents. 

Baied Apple Dumplings. — Make a paste of half a pound of flour, 
(cost two cents,) quarter of a pound of butter, (cost eight cents,) 
and enough cold water to wet it up, about half a pint; roll it out very 
thin and fold it four times; repeat this process twice; then put the paste 
in a cool place for five minutes, and roll and fold again; do this three 
times, and then cut the paste in squares, «id lay on each an apple pre- 
pared as above ; fold the paste over the apples, turn them bottom up 
on a baking sheet, brush them with a well beaten egg, (cost one 
cent,) sift over them an ounce of powdered sugar, (cost one cent,) and 
put them in a moderate oven to bake for three quarters of an hour. 
They will cost about eighteen cents, and be very nice. 

Lemon Dumplings. — Sift eight ounces of dried bread crumbs, (cost 
three cents,) mix them with the same quantity of very finely chopped 
suet, (cost four cents,) pare off the thin yellow rind of a lemon, (cost 
two cents,) chop it very fine, and add it with the juice to the bread and 



65 

suet; mix in half a pound of sugar, (cost six cents,) one egg, (cost one 
cent,) and enough milk to make a stiff paste, about half a pint, (cost 
two cents;) divide the paste into six equal balls, tie them in a floured 
cloth as directed for Boiled Apple Dumplings, and boil them an 
hour. Serve them with five cents' worth of butter and sugar, or syrup. 
They will cost about twenty-three cents, and are really delicious. 

BlCO Croquettes. — Boil half a pound of well washed rice, (cost five 
cents,) in one quart of cold water, with a level tablespoonful of salt, 
half a pint of milk, (cost two cents,) half the yellow rind of a lemon, or 
two inches of stick cinnamon, and two ounces of sugar, (cost two cents,) 
for half an hour, after it begins to boil, stirring it occasionally to pre- 
vent burning; take it from the fire, stir in one at a time, the yolks of 
three eggs, (cost three cents,) and return to the fire for ten minutes to 
set the egg; then spread the rice on an oiled platter, laying it about 
an inch thick, and let it get cool enough to handle. When it is cool 
enough turn it out of the platter upon some cracker dust spread on the 
table, cut it in strips one inch wide and three inches long, roll them in. 
to the shape of corks, dip them first in beaten egg, then in cracker- 
dust, and fry them golden brown in plenty of smoking hot fat; 
lay them on a napkin for a moment to free them from grease, put them 
on a dish, dust a little powdered sugar over them, and serve them. 
They will cost, including the last mentioned ingredients, about twenty 
cents. 

Fruit Tarts, — Stew ten cents worth of fruit and four ounces of sugar 
together; make some pastry according to the directions in the receipt 
for Baked Apple Dumplings; line deep pie -plates with the paste, 
building up a rim of paste around each ; fill them with the stewed fruit, 
and bake them about three quarters of an hour in a moderate oven; 
two good sized tarts can be made for twenty-five cents; and the fruit 
can be varied to suit the season of the year, and the taste of the eaters. 

Bice Cakes. — Sift together six ounces each of rice and wheat flour, 
(cost about seven cents,) rub into them four ounces of lard or meat drip- 
pings, (cost four cents, ) four eggs, (cost four cents, ) and sufficient milk 
to make a thick cake -batter; beat it thoroughly, pour it into a greas- 
ed cake-pan, and bake it one hour. A good sired cake will cost about 
fifteen cents. 

*> Bock Cakes. — Mix well together four ounces each of butter and su- 
gar, (cost twelve cents,) add four ounces of well washed currants, (cost 



66 

three cents,) one pound of flour, (cost four cents,) and three eggs, (cost 
three cents;) beat all these ingredients thoroughly, roll them into little 
balls, or rocks, and bake them on a buttered baking pan. A good sup- 
ply will cost about twenty. two cents. 

Caraway Cake. — Beat to a cream four ounces each of butter and 
sugar, (cost twelve cents,) stir in two eggs, (cost two cents,) one gill of 
milk, (cost one cent,) one pound of sifted flour, (cost four cents,) and 
five cents' worth of caraway seed ; bake the cake for two hours in a 
deep earthen dish, testing it with a clean broom splint to be sure it is 
done before you take it from the oven. It will cost about twenty-four 
cents. 

Soft Gingerbread. — Melt one ounce of butter, (cost two cents,) add 
it to half a pint of molasses, (cost five cents,) with one level teaspoonful 
each of ground cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, (cost one cent ;) dissolve 
one level teaspoonful of soda in half a pint of boiling water, mix this 
with the molasses, and lightly stir in half a pound of sifted flour (cost 
two cents;) line a cake-pan with buttered paper, pour in the batter, 
which will be very thin, and bake it about half an hour, or until you 
can run a broom-splint into it, and withdraw it clean. The cake, which 
will be a good size, will cost abont ten cents. 

Sweet Biscuits. — R UD four ounces of butter, (cost eight cents,) into 
one pound of flour, (cost four cents;) dissolve four ounces of sugar, (cost 
three cents,) in half a pint of warm milk, (cost two cents.) pour this into 
the flour, mixing it smoothly; then dissolve half a level teaspoonful of 
cream of tartar in one gill of cold water, and stir it into the above in- 
gredients. When they are thoroughly mixed, roll out the paste about 
quarter of an inch thick, cut it out in small round cakes, and bake them 
golden brown, at once, in a quick oven. A good supply will cost about 
seventeen cents. 



6 7 



CHAPTER X. 
Dessert Dishes. 

The previous chapter was devoted to cheap and good sweet dishes 
of the kind usually called dessert in this country; the dessert proper, 
however, consists of fruit, creams, ices, small and delicate cakes, fancy 
crackers, and confectionery. We give here directions for making some 
of these enjoyable delicacies at a very moderate rate. 

It must always be borne in mind that the prices quoted are those 
which prevail when the articles specified are in season, and conse- 
quently abundant and cheap. As apples are very plentiful, and gen- 
erally cheap, we shall begin with dishes made from them. 

Apple Black Caps. — Pare a quart of nice apples, core them without 
breaking, set them side by side in a baking dish that will just hold 
them, fill the centres with sugar, place two cloves in the top of each 
one, grate over them the yellow rind of a lemon or orange, and put 
them into a moderate oven only until they are tender; do not let 
them break apart. As soon as they are tender take them from the 
oven, heat a fire shovel red hot and hold it over them, near enough to 
blacken their tops. Serve either hot or cold. 

A porcelain-lined baking dish, or a gratin pan, is the best dish for 
cooking the black-caps in, because either can be set upon a clean plate 
and sent to the table ; if the apples have to be removed from the dish 
in which they were baked they may be broken, and then the appear- 
ance of the dish will be spoiled. 

The flavor of the dish may be changed by varying the spice, and by 
occasionally using a little wine or brandy with the sugar. The cost 
of a dish large enough for half a dozen persons will be covered by ten 
cents, unless it is made when apples are scarce and dear. 

Apple SHOW. — Make this dish when eggs are cheap. Pare and 
core a quart of apples, (cost five cents,) stew them to a pulp with just 
water enough to moisten them, rub them through a seive, and sweeten 
them to taste. Beat the whites of six eggs, (cost six cents,) with two 



68 

tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, to a stiff froth ; beat the apple-pulp 
to a froth ; mix the egg and apple together very lightly, turning the 
bowl of the spoon over and over instead of stirring it around ; then 
beat them with an egg whisk until they look like snow. Pile the 
snow high in the centre of a dish, putting it in by the tablespoonful, 
and taking care not to break it down ; in the top of the heap of snow 
put a fresh flower or a green sprig; and if you have any currant jelly, 
lay a few bits around the base. The effect of the dish is very pretty, 
and it can be made for about fifteen cents. 

Apple Cakes. — Pare, core, and slice a quart of apples, (price five 
cents,) stew them with half their weight in sugar, (about one pound, 
cost about twelve cents,) the grated rind and juice of a lemon, (cost 
two cents,) one ounce of batter, (cost two cents,) and a very little 
grated nutmeg. When they are tender beat them with an egg 
whisk until they are light, drop them by the dessert - spoonful on 
buttered paper laid on a baking sheet, and bake them in a coot 
oven until they are firm, which will be in about fifteen minutes. 
When they are cool put them in a tin box until wanted for use. The 
cost will be about twenty cents. 

ChenT Cheese. — Put into a stone jar a pound of sound, ripe cher- 
ries, with the stones removed, (cost about ten cents;) cover the jar 
closely, set it in a saucepan half full of boiling water, and simmer it 
gently until the cherries are tender; then take up the fruit, weigh it, 
put it into a preserving kettle with half a pound of finely sifted sugar, 
(cost about eight cents), to every pound of fruit; add a dozen cherry 
kernels with the skins removed by scalding, and rubbing in a clean 
cloth, put the kettle over a slow fire, and boil, stirring occasionally, 
until the fruit is quite dry and clear. Meantime rinse out some 
shallow jars with brandy, and when the fruit is done put it into 
them, pressing it down tightly; pour a very little brandy over 
the top, lay a little paper on each, then fit on the covers of the 
jars closely, and keep in a dry, cool place. The above quantity will 
cost about twenty-five cents. 

Candied Cherries. — Choose a pound of perfectly sound, ripe cherries, 
(cost ten cents,) with the stalks and an occasional leaf attached, wipe 
them with a clean, dry, soft cloth; dip the leaves and stems, but not 
the fruit, into boiling vinegar, and set them with the cherries upward, 
in a card-board perforated with holes to admit the stems, until the 



6 9 

vinegar dries. Meantime boil a pound of loaf sugar, (cost about fifteen 
cents), with a teaspoonful of cold water, using a thick porcelain-lined 
saucepan or copper sugar boiler; skim until perfectly clear, and test in 
the following way : Dip the thumb and forefinger into cold water and 
then quickly into the boiling sugar, withdrawing it instantly; press the 
fingers together, and then draw them apart; if the sugar forms a little 
thread between them it is ready to use, if it does not, boil a few 
minutes longer and test again. When it is ready dip the leaves and 
branches into it, and dry them in the card board frame as directed 
above. Keep the sugar at the boiling point, and as soon as it forms a 
clear brittle thread between the fingers, when tested as above, dip the 
entire fruit into it, moving the cherries around so that the sugar com- 
pletely covers them, and dry them, placed as above in the card board 
frame, in the mouth of a cool oven. 

Currant Salad. — Remove the stems from half a pound each of red 
and white currants, (cost ten cents,) and pile them in regular layers 
high in the centre of a shallow glass dish, sifting a little powdered 
sugar between each layer; the sugar will cost two or three cents. A 
gill of cream, (cost five cents,) may be poured over the top, if desired. 
The dish should be tastefully ornamented with green leaves, and the 
salad kept very cool until wanted for use. The cost of a nice dishful 
will be about eighteen cents. 

Iced Currants. — Beat the white of one egg, (cost one cent,) to a stiff 
froth, mix it with three dessertspoonfuls of cold water, dip into it 
carefully some perfect bunches of ripe red and white currants, which 
can be bought in season for ten cents a pound ; drain each bunch a 
moment and then dust it well with powdered sugar, lay each bunch 
carefully upon a large sheet of white paper, so that there is plenty of 
room between the bunches, and set them in a cool, airy place for five 
hours. The sugar will partly crystalize upon the fruit, and the effect 
will be very pretty. The cost of a good sized dish will be about fifteen 
cents. 

Compot© of Damsons. — Wipe one quart of sound, ripe damsons, 
(cost ten cents,) with a clean, dry cloth, drop them, one by one into 
the following syrup: make a syrup by melting one pound of loaf sugar 
(cost fifteen cents,) with one pint of water, stir in the white of an egg, 
(cost one cent,) and boil the syrup fifteen minutes, skimming it clear. 
Simmer the plums in this syrup until they are tender, abomt five 



70 

minutes, but do not let them break ; take the plums up carefully and 
arrange them in a heap on a shallow dish, letting the syrup boil about 
ten minutes, until it is quite thick; then remove it from the fire, cool it 
a little, and pour it over the plums. The dish will cost about twenty- 
five cents. 

Stuffed DfttdS. — Remove the stones from a pound of fine dates, (cost 
ten cents,) by cutting them open atone side; remove the shells and 
skins from half a pound of almonds, (cost ten cents;) the skins can 
easily be rubbed off by first pouring boiling water on the almond ker- 
nels ; replace the date-stones with the almonds, and arrange the dates 
neatly on a shallow dish ; dust a little powdered sugar over them, and 
keep them in a cool, dry place till ready to use. The dish will cost 
twenty -three cents. 

Stewed RgS. — Dissolve four ounces of powdered sugar, (cost three 
cents,) in one pint of cold water, and flavor with a few drops of any 
essence preferred ; put into it a pound of nice figs, (cost ten cents,) 
heat slowly, and stew gently for about two hours, or until the figs are 
tender. Eat hot with a dish of boiled rice, or serve cold. The cost 
will be less than fifteen cents. 

CompSte Of Gooseberries. — Choose a quart of large, sound, ripe, 
green gooseberries, (cost ten cents,) remove the stems and tops, throw 
them into boiling water for two minutes; drain them, let them lay 
three minutes in cold water containing a tablespoonful of vinegar, to 
restore their color, and then drain them quite dry. Meantime make 
a thick syrup by boiling one pound of sugar, (cost twelve cents,) with 
one pint of water; as soon as the syrup has boiled about ten minutes, 
put in the gooseberries and boil them gently until just tender, about 
ten minutes. Then pour both iruit and syrup into an earthen or glass 
dish; cool, and use. The dish will cost less than twenty-five cents. 

GrOOSebenT CJieese. — Remove the tops and stalks from two quarts of 
ripe, red gooseberries, (cost twenty cents,) put them in a moderate 
oven till soft enough, to rub through a seive ; then add to them one- 
fourth their weight of sugar, set them over the fire to boil gently for 
half an hour, stirring them constantly, and skimming till clear; then 
put by the tablespoonful on plates, and dry in the mouth of a cool oven. 
Pack, when quite cool, in a tight box, between sheets of white wrap- 
ping paper. The above quantity will cost about twenty-five cents. 

Gooseberry Fool. — Remove tops and stalks from two quarts of goose- 



berries, boil them with three quarters of their weight in sugar, and 
half a pint of cold water, until soft enough to pulp through a sieve; 
then mix the pulp with a pint of milk, or cream, if a more expensive dish 
is desired, and put into an earthen or glass dish to cool ; serve cold. 
The above quantity will cost about twenty -five cents. 

Grape Jelly.— Dissolve one ounce of gelatine, (cost eight cents,) in 
half a pint of cold water. Break one pound and a half of grapes, 
(cost ten cents,) in an earthen bowl with a wooden spoon ; strain the 
juice without pressing the grapes, through clean muslin, three times; 
put the juice into a preserve kettle with half a pound of loaf sugar, 
(cost eight cents,) and the dissolved isinglass, and boil it ten minutes; 
rub a jelly mold with pure salad oil; add two tablespoonfuls of brandy, 
(cost three cents,) to the jelly; pour it into the mould, and cool until 
the jelly sets firm. The above ingredients will make about a pint and 
a half of jelly, and will usually cost about twenty-five cents, for the 
above estimate is rather more than the average cost. 

Green Gage Compote.— Remove the skin from a quart of very ripe 
green gages, (cost fifteen cents,) put them in a glass dish, sprinkle 
them over with a pound of powdered sugar, (cost ten cents,) and let 
them stand in a cool place four hours, until a nice syrup has been 
formed. The dish is delicious, and costs about twenty-five cents. 

Pine Apple Julep- — Pare and slice a very ripe pine apple, which in 
season will cost about ten cents; lay it in a glass dish; pour over it the 
juice of one orange, (cost two cents,) the juice of one lemon, (cost two 
cents,) a gill of any fruit syrup, (cost about five cents,) and two table- 
spoonfuls of rum, (cost three cents;) sprinkle it with a little powdered 
sugar, cool it on the ice, and serve it cold. It will cost about twenty- 
five cents. 

Lemon SnOW. — Soak one ounce of gelatine, (cost eight cents,) in one 
pint of cold water for half an hour; peel the yellow rind from three 
lemons, (cost six cents, ) and squeeze and strain their juice ; put the rind 
and juice of the lemons into a saucepan with eight ounces of loaf sugar, 
(cost eight cents,) and stir until the sugar and isinglass are quite dis- , 
solved ; pour it into a bowl, and let it cool, and begin to grow firm. 
Then add the whites of three eggs, (cost three cents,) and beat to a 
stiff froth. Pile by the tablespoonful high in the centre of a glass dish. 
It is pretty and delicious, and costs only about twenty-five cents. 

Melon Compdte. — Make a syrup by boiling one pound of sugar, 



72 

(cost ten cents,) with half a pint of water. Pare and slice a spicy 
musk melon, (cost five cents,) and put it into the syrup with a little 
wine, (cost five cents.) Boil gently for ten minutes, take up the melon 
in a glass dish, cool the syrup a little, and pour it over the melon. 
Serve the compote cold ; it is delicious, and costs only about twenty-five 
cents. 

Orange Salad. — Peel six oranges, (cost twelve cents,) slice them, 
place them in rings in a glass dish, sprinkle them with three ounces of 
powdered sugar, (cost two cents,) pour over them a little wine and 
brandy, aud let them stand over night in a cool place. A good dish 
full will cost about twenty cents. 

Orange and Apple Compete. — Pare and slice very thin three oranges, 
(cost six cents,) and three apples, (cost three cents,) removing the seeds 
from both: lay the slices in rings in a glass dish, cover with the follow- 
ing syrup, and cool. Boil the orange peel in half a pint of water, with 
four ounces of sugar, (cost four cents,) until the syrup is clear; add a 
tablespoonful of brandy to it, cool it a little, and pour it over the sliced 
fruit. The dish is very nice when iced, and costs about fifteen cents. 

Peach Salad. — Pare and quarter a quart of ripe peaches, (cost ten 
cents,) lay them in a heap in a shallow glass dish; squeeze over them 
the juice of an orange, (cost two cents,) and sprinkle them with pow- 
dered sugar, (cost two cents.) Put them on the ice to get very cold. 
A large dishful can be prepared for fifteen cents. 

Cold Compote Of Pears. — Peel and slice thin a quart of Bartlett 
pears, (cost fifteen cents,) lay them in a glass dish, pour over them a 
little wine, and sprinkle them plentifully with powdered sugar. Let 
them stand in a cool place for an hour before using them. A nice dish 
will cost less than twenty cents. 

Stewed Pnmelles. — Put a pound of prunelles, (cost fifteen cents,) 
in enough boiling water to cover them, and stew them gently for one 
hour. Take them up with a skimmer, strain their juice, return it to 
the fire with four ounces of loaf sugar, (cost four cents,) the yellow rind 
and juice of one lemon, (cost two cents,) and a glass of wine; skim until 
clear, add the prunelles, and stew again for one hour. Take up the 
prunelles in a glass dish, cool the syrup a little, and strain it over 
them. Cool before using. The dish can be made for about twenty- 
five cents. 

Quince Cakes. — Wash some quinces, boil them in enough water to 



73 

cover them, until they are tender enough to rub through a seive: to 
each quart add a pound and a half of loaf sugar, place the mixture 
over the fire, and heat to the boiling point, stirring it constantly, but 
do not let it boil. Oil some plates, spread the quince upon them, and 
dry it in the mouth of a cool oven. Then cut it in cakes, pack it in a 
tin box, between layers of white wrapping paper, when it is thoroughly 
cold, and keep it in a cool, dry place. A good dishful can be made for 
twenty-five cents. 

Quince SHOW. — Boil some nice quinces until tender, peel them, rub 
them through a sieve with a wooden spoon, and add to each pound a 
pound of powdered sugar, (cost ten cents,) and the whites of three eggs, 
(cost three cents.) Beat with an egg whisk to a stiff froth and pile by 
the tablespoonful in the centre of a shallow glass dish. A nice dishful 
can be made for about twenty-five cents. 

Iced BaspberrieS. — Beat the white of one egg, (cost one cent,) with 
two tablespoonfuls of cold water; pick over a quart of fine ripe raspber- 
ries, (cost ten cents,) dip them one by one into the egg, and roll them 
in powdered sugar; lay them on white paper spread on a baking sheet, 
so that they do not touch, and dry them in a cold, dry place, sifiing a 
little more sugar over them, if they seem to grow moist. When the 
berries are in season, twenty -five cents will cover the cost of a large 
dish. 

RaspbeiTJ Salad.— Pick over a quart of ripe raspberries, (cost ten 
cents, ) pile them high in the centre of a glass dish, pour over them a 
glass of wine, (cost five cents,) dust them with an ounce of powdered 
sugar, (cost one cent,) and keep on the ice till used. A good dishful 
can be made for about twenty cents. 

Compote Of Strawberries. — Carefully pick over a quart of ripe 
strawberries, (cost ten cents;) put them in an earthen dish, pour over 
them a syrup made by boiling quarter of a pound of sugar, (cost four 
cents.) with one gill of water, for ten minutes; let the berries stand in 
this syrup for one hour ; then drain them and pile them in a heap in a 
shallow glass dish; add to the syrup the juice of one orange, (cost two 
cents,) or a glass of wine ; boil it up and cool it a little, and strain it 
over the berries; cool and use. This delicious dish costs about fifteen 
cents. 

StrawbeiT7 Drops. — Rub some ripe strawberries through a fine 
seive with a wooden spoon ; add two ounces of this juice to half a 



74 

pound of powdered sugar, (cost five cents,) put the mixture into a 
saucepan and stir it over the fire until it begins to simmer; remove it 
from the fire, and stir it briskly for five minutes, oil some paper, lay it 
on a baking sheet, drop the strawberries on it by the salt-spoonful, 
dry them in the mouth of a cool oven. Keep them between layers of 
white paper in a cool place. A good supply can be made for twenty- 
five cents. | 

Compote Of Mised Fruit. — Boil half a pound of loaf sugar, (cost 
eight cents,) with one gill of cold water for ten minutes; pick over 
half a pound of red currants, (cost five cents,) and a pint of raspberries, 
(cost five cents,) and simmer them in the syrup for ten minutes. Take 
up the fruit on a glass dish, cool the syrup a little and pour it over the 
fruit. The dish will cost less than twenty cents. 

Fruit Juice. — Rub ripe fruit through a seive, with a wooden spoon, 
and then strain it free from skins and seeds; to every pound add quar- 
ter of a pound of loaf sugar ; mix well ; put into wide-mouthed glass 
bottles, and set them in a pan with cold water reaching to the necks 
of the bottles. Set the pan over the fire and let the water come to a 
boil; remove the pan and let the bottles stand in the water until they 
are quite cold. Then cork them tightly, and seal them with wax or 
resin. 

Keep them in a cool, dry place. This juice added to ice-water, and 
sweetened to taste, makes a delicious sherbet. 



The End. 



INDEX. 



Cost. Pack. 

A la Mode Beef, with potatoes 35 57 

Apple Dumplings J 5 6 4 

Bacon and Apple Roly-poly, wich Vegetables 25 48 

Baked Apple Dumplings l8 6 4 

Baked Heart 2 5 47 

Baked Pig's Head 22 5° 

Barley Water 2 2 3 

Batter for frying 4 5 2 

Batter for frying 5 59 

Beans and Bacon IO 4© 

Beans, Baked IO 39 

Beans, Fried IO *° 

Bean Soup IO 33 

Beans, Stewed IO 4© 

Beef A la Mode 35 57 

Beef Broth, with Dumplings 2 5 37 

Beef Patties 3° 5» 

Beef Pie 2 5 46 

Beer ~ 22 

Beer for Nursing Women — 2 3 

Biscuits, Sweet ! 7 66 

Biscuits, Tea 6 27 

Blattquette of Veal, with Potatoes 3° 6l 

Brain and Liver Pudding l S 5 6 

Bread per 8 lbs 2 4 2 S 

Bread Pudding x 5 6 3 

Breakfast Rolls 6 2 * 

Broth, Beef 2 5 37 

Broth, Chicken 5 53 

Broth, Mutton * 7 3 ° 

Broth, Scotch IO 32 

Broth, Veal x 3 3° 

Broth, White 2 5 3& 



7 6 

Cost. Page. 

Cake, Caraway 24 66 

Cake, Rice ; 15 65 

Cake, Rock 22 65 

Chicken Broth 5 53 

Chicken, Fried 35 52 

Cheese Pudding 12 41 

Chocolate — 21 

Chowder 20 35 

Cocoa — 21 

Cocoa, per quart 6 22 

Codfish Steaks and Potatoes 20 45 

Coffee — 21 

Coffee, per quart 6 22 

College Pudding 18 62 

Cooking — 16 

Cream Rice Pudding 15 63 

Cream Sauce 6 62 

Cream Soup, with Macaroni 25 37 

Croquettes, Rice 20 65 

Cup Custards 12 63 

Dumplings, Apple 15 64 

Dumplings, Apple, Baked 18 64 

Dumpling, Fruit 20 64 

Dumpling, Gammon 15 48 

Dumplings, Lemon 23 64 

Dumplings, Norfolk 7 37 

Dumplings, Suet 5 53 

Dessert 10 to 25 67 

Fish Chowder 20 35 

Fish Pudding 25 44 

Fish Soup 20 35 

Fish and Potato Pie 25 44 

Fish and Potato Pudding 15 45 

Forcemeat for Poultry 10 51 

Forcemeat for Veal 5 60 

Fowl, Roast 38 51 



77 

Cost. Page. 

Fruit Dumplings 2 ° ** 

Fruit Tarts I2 ° 5 

Gammon Dumpling x 5 4° 

German Potatoes IO 55 

Gingerbread, Soft IO 66 

Half-pay Pudding 2 ° 6 3 

Hasty Pudding 4 42 

Indian Bread 5 42 

Indian Cakes 5 42 

Indian Pudding, Baked x 5 43 

Indian Pudding, Boiled IO 42 

IrishStew 23 49 

Johnny Cake 5 4 

Kidneys, Broiled, with potatoes 20 56 

Kidneys, Pigs' IO 47 

Kidney Pudding 3° 47 

Kidney, Stewed, with potatoes 2 5 47 

Kromeskys 2 ° 5 

Lamb, Epigramme, with Broth and Rice 20 59 

Lemon Dumplings 2 3 4 

Lentils, Boiled I4 4I 

Lentils, Fried IO 4I 

Lentil Soup IO 33 

Lentils, Stewed *° 4I 

Lime Water 24 

liver Polenta 12 57 

Macaroni, Farmers' Style • IO 2 g 

Macaroni, Milanaise Style x 3 

Macaroni, withJBroth 

Macaroni, with Cheese 

Macaroni, with Tomato Sauce 2 9 

Macaroni, with White Sauce *° 

Maize 4I 



73 

Cost. Page. 

Marketing — 10 

Measuring — 19 

Meat Brewis 5 38 

Meat Patties, with Potatoes 30 58 

Milk — 23 

Mutton Boiled, with Turnips and Potatoes 17 58 

Mutton Broth, with Vegetables 17 36 

Mutton Kromeskys, with Potatoes 20 58 

Mutton and Onions So 48 

Mutton rechauffee> with Potatoes 15 58 

Norfolk Dumplings 7 37 

New York Cooking School Fricassee 43 53 

Oatmeal and Peas '. 13 38 

Onion Soup 10 34 

Oxtail Stew, with Bread 22 46 

Patties, Beef, with Potatoes 30 58 

Patties, Veal and Ham 30 61 

Peas and Bacon 25 39 

Peas and Onions 10 39 

Peas, Baked 10 39 

Peas Pudding IO 39 

Pea Soup 10 33 

Pea Soup, thick 6 33 

Pickled Shad, with bread 20 54 

Pigs' Head, Baked 22 50 

Polenta 5 41 

Polenta, Liver 12 57 

Pork and Onions 20 49 

Pork Chops, with Potatoes 25 55 

Pork Pie 20 54 

Pork, Roast, with Apples 27 55 

Potato Bread, per 8 lbs 24 26 

Potatoes, German IO 55 

Pudding, Brain and Liver 15 56 

Pudding, Bread 15 6$ 

Pudding, Cheese 12 41 



79 

Cost. Paga. 

Pudding, College 18 62 

Pudding, Cream Rice 15 63 

Pudding, Fish and Potato 25 45 

Pudding, Half-pay 20 63 

Pudding, Hasty 4 42 

Pudding, Kidney 30 47 

Pudding, Peas 10 39 

Pudding, Swiss, with Sauce 20 62 

Pulled Bread 3 26 

Rabbit Curry 28 53 

Rabbit Pie 30 54 

Red Herrings and Potatoes, with Bread 22 45 

Rice, Boiled 7 3° 

Rice Bread, per 8 lbs / 25 26 

Rice Cake 15 65 

Rice Croquettes 20 65 

Rice, Japanese Style 10 30 

Rice, Milanaise Style 10 30 

Rice Milk 15 35 

Rice Panada 12 30 

Roast Fowl 3 8 5 1 

Roast Pork, with Apples 27 55 

Roast Veal, with Potatoes 3° 6° 

Rock Cakes 22 65 

Rolls, Breakfast 6 27 

Salt, Celery , — 19 

Salt, Spice — 19 

Sauce, Cream 6 62 

Sauce, Table, per pint 6 19 

Sauce, Tomato 10 29 

Sausage, Stewed 25 55 

Scotch Broth, without Meat 10 32 

Seasoning — *<> 

Soft Gingerbread 10 66 

Swiss Pudding, with Sauce 20 62 

Shad, Pickled 20 54 



So 

Cost. Paga 

Sheep's Head Stew 25 46 

Sheep's Haslet 17 49 

Soup, Bean 10 33 

Soup, Cream 25 37 

Soup, Fish 20 35 

Soup, Lentil 10 33 

Soup, Onion 10 34 

Soup, Pea 10 33 

Soup, Spinach 15 34 

Soup, Thick Pea 6 33 

Soup, Vegetable 20 34 

Spinach Soup 15 34 

Stuffing for Poultry 10 51 

Stuffing for Veal 5 60 

Suet Dumplings 5 53 

Sweet Biscuits 17 65 

Table Sauce, per pint 6 19 

Tarts, Fruit 12 65 

Tea — 21 

Tea Biscuit 6 27 

Tea, per quart 3 22 

Tincture Lemon — 19 

Tincture Orange — 19 

Tincture Vanilla — 19 

Tomato Sauce 10 29 

Tripe, Curry and Rice 27 56 

White Broth, with Macaroni 25 36 

Veal and Ham Patties 30 61 

Veal and Rice 20 49 

Veal, Blanquette, with Potatoes 30 61 

Veal Broth, with Vegetables 13 36 

Veal, Roast, with Potatoes 30 60 

Vegetable Soup and Bacon 20 34 

Vegetable Porridge 15 35 



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